Moving Through Fear
by Clairisant2000
Summary: Lucy, the prostitute that helped Vincent when he escaped from the SILKS now needs help.  She goes to Isaac and he turns to Catherine.  In helping her, trouble comes to the tunnels and Vincent is injured.  He must learn new ways to guard his family.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Moving Through Fear

AUTHOR: Clairisant

FEEDBACK: Would love to hear both good and bad feedback but please try to be kind and constructive. 

CREDITS: A special thank you to my beta reader Qupeydoll.

Chapter 1

With a weary sigh Catherine Chandler reached out to answer the ringing phone on her desk. She'd already put in a ten hour day and a thirty-eight hour week and it was only Wednesday! A call at work at 6pm, when the office officially closed at 5, could only mean trouble.

It's wasn't like the call could be from her boyfriend! She had to smile at the thought. The tunnels certainly didn't have phones and the very thought of Vincent using a phone was amusing. The truth was, she didn't know if he ever had, or even if he knew how. All those things flashed through her mind before she announced, "Catherine Chandler," into the receiver.

"Cathy, its Isaac…Isaac Stubbs…"

"Yes Isaac. What can I do for you?" she asked, knowing that whatever it was, she would do it. She owed Isaac in a BIG way! It was less than a week ago that Vincent had been caught Above, hurt, nearly blind, and trying to find his way home. Of course that had all been her fault! She just had to go and question a witness, in the worst part of town, late at night, by herself!

Vincent had caught up with her right before she'd gone in to the meeting. He'd begged her not to go but when she insisted that she had to, he promised to be close to protect her, just as he always did. And again that night, he'd had to protect her. A rival street gang, 'the Silks', had attacked the meeting place. Vincent rushed in and had gotten her to safety, but she had sent him back in to rescue her witness just before the pipe bomb was tossed into the room.

All she'd had was her faith and instinct to tell her that he was still alive. She'd spent hours searching for him and had called on Isaac to help her.

He'd come without question and had stuck it out to the end. Especially when he'd been frustrated at her inability to answer his questions.

When they'd finally found Vincent, Isaac had to have gotten a look at him, but good friend that he was, no questions were forthcoming. So if he now needed something from her, she would move heaven and earth to get it for him.

"Do you remember Lucy? She was the girl from the night your…friend got hurt."

Catherine's memory of the people involved in that night, with the exception of Isaac himself, was sketchy at best. She'd been so focused on finding Vincent and then getting him Below as quickly as possible. But on the vague edge of her memory was a scared girl that the Silks had held captive. She must also have been the girl that Vincent told her about. The one that had helped him try and find his way home, so she said to Isaac, "I believe so. Why do you ask?"

"She called me today. It seems she's been on the run and hiding from the Silks since that night. She's afraid for her life, Cathy, and I thought maybe you could help."

"Help? How Isaac?" she asked fearing the answer. Helping Isaac was one thing, but if what she feared he was asking was true then it wasn't just her putting herself out to help him, it would mean involving the tunnel community.

"I've wracked my brain as to what I could do for her, but you know how word on the street travels like lightening. No shelter or place I could get her into would be safe. The Silks would find her. Then I got to thinking that your friend has to have somewhere safe that he lives, and so I called…"

"Isaac, Vincent does have a safe place, but it's safe because it is a secret and needs to stay that way!" she protested.

"Cathy, she saw Vincent too. She's the one that helped him find that abandoned building where you led him away. The Silks also saw him when they held him and tortured him. They think that Lucy might know where he is and that's why they're hunting her."

"Isaac, you have to understand this is not my secret to share! But she did help Vincent, he told me about her. I guess the only thing I can do is take her plea for sanctuary to the Council."

"The Council?"

"It's a long story, but I can go and talk to them tonight. Can you keep her safe until I've had that chance?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Yes, I don't think they know that Lucy contacted me. Any ideas on how long this will take?" Isaac asked.

"I'll leave work and go there now. I'll call you as soon as I have their decision," Catherine promised and hung up. Quickly gathering her things, she hurried from the building.

Taking a taxi to Central Park she asked to be let out by the carousel. After paying her fare, she waited for the car to pull away before heading for the drainage tunnel. With one last look to make sure no one was watching her, she went inside and right to the mechanism that would open the secret door. She stepped inside, disappearing without a trace to the outside world.

Vincent sensed Catherine's approach. In fact, he had known she was coming Below when she made the decision in her office. At first he had wondered about her reason for coming to see him. They hadn't scheduled a meeting for that evening the last time she was Below. Because his eyes were still giving him trouble after the explosion he had not been able to visit her balcony so she had been coming to visit him every other night since his return home. She had been Below last night so he hadn't been expecting to see her until tomorrow. Vincent could feel the urgency about her visit, but there was no fear. She wasn't in danger or in trouble, so he put that worry to rest.

Normally, if he knew she was coming or even just sensed and unexpected visit, he would be there waiting at what ever entrance she'd chosen. However, Father had declared that the only way for his eyes to heal completely was to keep them covered until they did. Vincent had found that even with his eyes bandaged he knew the tunnels well enough to get around on his own, even if he was a bit slower this way. The only problem was that the only time he could do that was late at night after everyone was in bed asleep. Any other time there were just too many well meaning people around to lead him wherever he wanted to go. Even if he insisted that he didn't need the help, his arm would still be taken and he would be lovingly guided to his location.

That was why he had taken to staying in his chamber as much as possible. He hated appearing helpless to his family and friends and even if they were very willing to help him, he still found it very hard to accept it. He felt it was just better to stay put rather than hurt anyone with his rejection of their help. That was why he had asked Jamie to go and bring Catherine to him. He hadn't wanted to arrive to greet her on the arm of someone guiding him.

He was very surprised when a short time later he sensed that Catherine had reached her destination still some distance from his chamber. Intrigued, he got up and started to follow their Bond to where she was. He had only taken three steps into the passageway outside his chamber before getting an offer of help to lead him wherever he was going. He was gently trying to explain to Samantha that he didn't need help when Jamie rushed up at her usual speed to tell him that Catherine had insisted on being taken to Father's study rather that his chamber.

Quickly excusing himself from Samantha, he turned and hurried down the passage. Behind him he heard both girls calling out that they would take him, but he didn't even slow down to answer.

Catherine had to explain twice to Jamie that she had come Below to see Father and not Vincent before the girl would take her to the elder man's study rather than Vincent's chamber. She knew that Vincent would sense that she was Below and come to find her, or failing that, if she could convince Father to call an emergency meeting of the Council, Vincent would be alerted to come anyway, because he was on the Council.

When the two of them had arrived in Father's study, he looked up from the book he'd been reading and upon seeing who his visitors were announced, "Vincent is in his chamber, Jamie. You should show Catherine there, my dear."

"I tried Father! She wanted to see you!" Jamie protested.

"Oh?" he said with an inquiring look at the woman in question.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Catherine allowed her gaze to shift to Jamie just long enough for Father to notice before swinging back to him.

Jacob Wells was quick to pick up on this and said, "Jamie, you can go now. Catherine, why don't you come in and have a seat? I can put on a pot of tea while we talk."

Jamie melted away without a word as Catherine moved down to the lower level of the study. After taking off her jacket, she took a seat across from Father. Before she could speak he asked, "Now what is this unexpected visit all about?"

"Father, there is a situation that needs to be brought before the Council. Could you call an emergency meeting now?" she asked, unaware that Vincent had arrived in time to hear the last part of her question.

Stopping his tea preparations Father turned to her and said, "I would need much more information than you have yet given me to do such a thing, Catherine! I would need to know what this situation is that you speak of to determine if it really is an emergency."

"Father, I can assure you that Catherine knows if something is an emergency. In her line of work she deals with them on a daily basis," Vincent announced his presence by saying.

"Vincent! How did you get here? Where is your escort?" Father gasped.

Meanwhile, Catherine had gotten to her feet and gone to his side to offer her hand to get through the piles of books that were stacked everywhere. She knew how he felt about taking this kind of help, they had talked about it just last night, but Father's study was one place it was clearly called for. The stacks of books and furniture itself, were always getting moved around for one reason or another, so it was impossible to 'learn' the room as he could with other chambers.

As they moved to where Father was, Vincent once again explained to his parent that he was capable of getting around without help. He took the seat that Catherine had led him to and when his exceptional hearing told him she had seated herself as well he gently asked, "Catherine, will you tell us what need our immediate attention?"

"Of course. Isaac Stubbs called me at work tonight. He was the one that helped me look for you when you were caught Above…"

"Something that would never have happened if you hadn't been in that part of town…" Father started to say.

He was interrupted by Vincent's admonition of, "Father!" When his parent fell silent and returned to the tea preparations, Vincent continued, "Yes, I remember you telling me about him. Go on Catherine."

"Well, he called to say that Lucy, the girl the helped you, is in danger."

"Danger? What kind of danger? And how does this concern us?" Father asked.

"Anyone in danger should concern us Father," Vincent insisted. "Catherine, please tell us what else Isaac said."

"The Silks are after her because they believe she can lead them to you. She's been in hiding, but fears for her life. She contacted Isaac, but anywhere he has access to the Silks could find her. He was hoping I could get in touch with you…"

"This man knows about Vincent?" Father demanded.

"Yes, he helped me search for him when he was lost."

"How do we know that he isn't using this girl as a way to find Vincent himself so he can turn him into this street gang?"

"Because Catherine trusts him, Father," Vincent assured him.

"He is a true friend, Father," Catherine added.

"We must do something to protect Lucy. She did risk her life to help me get safely home. What suggestion would you have, Catherine?"

"I was hoping that the Council would approve her coming Below."

"But what do we know of this girl?" Father asked. "Doesn't she have family or friends that could help her?"

"I don't think so Father. If she had I'm sure she would have contacted them by now," Catherine answered.

"What about the people she works with?"

"Father, Lucy is a prostitute. I don't think her co-workers would be much help," Vincent answered gently.

"A prostitute! And you want her to live here in the tunnels?" the older man stared incredulously at Catherine and his son.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"She is a lost soul in need of our help, Father, and she put her life on the line to save mine!" Vincent insisted.

"But how do we know she can be trusted to keep our secret?" Father wanted to know.

This time however his answer came from Catherine rather than his son. "Because she already is keeping it Father!" she told him. "If Lucy wanted to tell, she wouldn't be in hiding or running from the Silks. She would have given them the information they wanted. Instead she has chosen to keep Vincent's secret by hiding. I think that says a lot about her character right there."

"She has a good heart, Father. We should help her," Vincent added.

"Well I guess it could be put to the Council," Father conceded a bit reluctantly. "Vincent, will you put out the call on the pipes?"

"Yes Father," his son agreed, and went to do so. He returned a few moments later and before he could take the first sip of the tea that Father had poured for him the Council members started arriving. Within fifteen minutes they were all there in Father's study, curious to find out the reason they'd all been called together.

Father opened the meeting by thanking everyone for coming so quickly and then turned it over to Vincent and Catherine. Between the two of them they took turns explaining Lucy's story. When they were finished, Mary was the first to speak, "I think our answer is clear here. We must help this child!"

"She's not a child, Mary! She's a prostitute!" William protested.

"Vincent and Catherine have said she's a young girl with a good heart and she is in need of help. Here she can also find guidance and purpose for her life. Do you really want to turn her away after she risked her own life to save our dear Vincent?" Mary asked him.

"I guess not…I was just concerned about her influence on the children," William answered.

"Her profession need not be made known to the children," Mary told him.

"I vote that we offer her sanctuary here with us," Pascal spoke up shyly.

A look of gratitude crossed Vincent's face at the support from his friend. "If there is no other discussion, I think we should call for a vote. Catherine needs to bring her to safety as quickly as possible if we are going to offer her a place here."

Everyone voted to allow Lucy to come Below even if William's hand was the slowest to go up. Father merely acknowledged the vote and advised that she could go and get Lucy as soon as she wanted.

Catherine eagerly thanked everyone, quickly gave Vincent a hug before excusing herself to go and contact Isaac. Vincent promised to meet her at the drainage tunnel when he sensed she was on her way back.

Using the tunnel access under her building, Catherine placed a call to Isaac from her apartment. Asking him how quickly he could get Lucy and bring her to a meeting place, she was pleased to hear they were already together and ready to move. She described the bridge in the park near the drainage tunnel and told Isaac that she would grab a cab and meet them there as quickly as possible.

She got there first since her apartment building was so close to the park and the other two had to come from across town. She waited, enjoying the quiet stillness of that very early hour. The moon was almost full and looked so bright. Catherine worried about Vincent and his sight. Even though Father said he would recover completely, she knew that she would never forgive herself if he didn't. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up. She watched as Isaac paid the driver and then the two of them approached her.

It was clear what Lucy's profession was by the way she was dressed. Catherine could only guess that these might be the only kinds of clothes the girl had. She cringed inwardly at how Father would react to this.

"Cathy, why did you want us to meet you here?" Isaac asked when the pair got close to her.

"Because this is the closest access to Vincent's home," she answered. "Lucy, Vincent and I spoke for you at the Council meeting, but there are some things we have to cover before I can take you Below. Isaac, thank you for bringing her, I will take her from here."

"Wait!" he protested, as Catherine moved to lead Lucy away. "Why can't I come with the two of you?"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Because, it's only Lucy who needs sanctuary. I didn't get permission to bring you along, Isaac. I'm sorry," Catherine told him.

"I'd like to see her to safety and I'd really like to meet Vincent. I only got a glimpse of him that night, but he was…amazing!"

"I was scared of him at first!" Lucy offered. "But then he was so kind and polite. I just had to help him!"

"Vincent is very special," Catherine said softly.

Lucy gasped and exclaimed, "You're in love with him! I can see it in your eyes!"

"Very much," Catherine admitted.

"Gosh! How is he in the sack?" Lucy eagerly wanted to know.

Catherine gasped at the question and was flooded with a jolt of desire at the thought. Then a wave of embarrassment hit her as she sensed Vincent's awareness of her feelings through the Bond.

Vincent had been tuned into Catherine because she was meeting Isaac and Lucy alone in the park late at night. He had sensed her concern when she'd seen Lucy, but not the reason for it. He only knew that it wasn't something she needed him rushing to her side over. Then, a few minutes later, he sensed her desire. It surprised him at first because he hadn't known she'd felt that way about Isaac. But then a heartbeat later he was shocked to realize that it was HIM she was feeling that way about! His shock had lowered the tight control he always kept on his side of the Bond, and in that moment, Catherine became aware of his feelings! That was when he felt her wave of embarrassment.

She tried to turn off her feelings as quickly as possible, but knew that Vincent had been aware of both. She shifted her focus back to Lucy and Isaac in the hopes of doing just that.

In her profession Lucy had learned to read people and she knew by Catherine's reaction to her question that she had said the wrong thing. "Hey, I'm sorry, I should know better than to ask. It's just that when us girls are together we discuss our johns…oh gosh! I didn't mean that Vincent was your john! I'm sure you don't make him pay…oh gosh! Maybe I should just shut up before you decide not to help me!"

"That won't happen, Lucy. But we do need to go, there is someone waiting for us."

As Isaac once again started to follow them, she simply nodded that it was okay for him to come along. The three of them entered the drainage tunnel where Father was waiting. Catherine knew that Vincent was just on the other side of the secret door. She knew that he'd stay back until Lucy was welcomed into the community, but with Isaac out here with them, she wondered if he might remain out of sight all together. She hadn't wanted to stress him any more than he had been by telling him that Isaac had seen him that night he'd been caught Above.

"Father, this is my friend Isaac Stubbs and Lucy. Isaac, Lucy, this is Vincent's father. He is one of the founders of the tunnel community and its leader."

"Mr. Stubbs," Father acknowledged, and offered his hand. Then he turned to the young woman next to Isaac and said, "Lucy, there is normally an extensive process by which people come to stay with us. But in times of great need, as yours, we rely on our Helpers, such as Catherine, to assess the situations and bring those in need to us. However, we, as a community, have to ask if we can trust you with our secret and safety. We are here to help you."

Lucy looked back and forth between Isaac and Catherine as if pleading for the words to say. Isaac was about to defend the girls need when Catherine put her hand on his arm. To Lucy she said, "Just answer him honestly."

The girl turned back to Father and replied, "In my line of work you don't get far if you can't keep secrets. If you help me, I'll keep yours, till I go to my grave."

Father considered her words for a moment and then offered his hand to her, "Then we would welcome you to our community."

As if on cue, the secret door behind him opened and both Lucy and Isaac stood there in open-mouthed wonder.

Vincent's massive form was silhouetted with the torch light behind him and was intimidating even with the bandages over his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Oh! I didn't know you were hurt that badly!" Lucy gasped as she took several steps towards Vincent. "Is your sight going to be alright?"

"Father says I will be fine very soon. Thank you for your concern Lucy." With a slight pause, he went on to ask, "Catherine, will you introduce me to our guest?"

She stepped forward to Vincent's side and said, "Vincent, this is my friend Isaac Stubbs. He is the one that taught me how to defend myself after my attack. Isaac, this is Vincent, he is the one that saved my life."

Vincent held out his hand, wary of how Isaac would react to him.

Isaac, without hesitation, stepped right up to shake Vincent's hand. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Cathy hasn't told me much about you, but what she did say tells me you are someone worth knowing."

Father and Lucy moved passed the three of them, as Vincent closed the secret door, saying, "Thank you for that, and for teaching Catherine to defend herself. It will be even more important now that I am hampered with this vision problem."

Catherine took Vincent's arm and gently made sure he didn't bump into anything as the three of them followed behind Lucy and Father.

"I may be able to help you there, Vincent. I taught a self defense class at the community center last year and one of the guys there was blind. Between us, we came up with some pretty clever ideas."

Vincent could sense the excited reaction that went through Catherine at Isaac's suggestion. She had discovered first hand how horrified and humiliated he felt when the 'animal' side of his nature took over as he defended the people that he loved. Maybe with Isaac's help he could learn a less lethal method of doing the same thing. "That is an interesting idea, Mr. Stubbs, but until my eyesight improves, coming to your gym for lessons would be impossible."

"Well, if you have a large open space here where we could move around without breaking things, then I would be happy to come here and teach you."

"Maybe there would be others that would want to learn as well, Vincent!" Catherine chimed in as the group reached Father's study.

"Learn what?" the patriarch of the tunnels inquired.

"Isaac was offering to teach Vincent an alternate way of fighting," Catherine offered eagerly. "And I was thinking that some of the other tunnel residents might want to learn too!"

"We do not condone violence, Catherine!" Father scolded.

"What I actually teach is self defense. It's for protection once the person is attacked. I don't suggest that they use it for anything else, but to stay alive."

"Father, this might be very useful for our people on sentry duty. We worry so what would happen if they were confronted by an intruder. This way they could protect themselves," Vincent stated.

"That has always been your job, Vincent!" Father protested.

"Yes, but it was always a worry that I might be too far away to get there in time and now with my eyes the way they are, that is an even bigger concern."

"I think it's a perfectly wonderful idea," Mary stated quietly, alerting everyone to her previously unacknowledged presence in the room.

"Mary! Really?" Father protested.

"Yes. For too long we have relied solely on Vincent as our protector. This way we would be taking some of that responsibility off of his shoulders and enabling our community to protect itself. Now who would like some tea?" she concluded as if her statement needed no further discussion.

"Well, I guess we could put it to a Council vote," Father muttered.

"I don't think there is a need for that Father. First we would need to discover if Mr. Stubbs is willing to do this and then, if so, I think a sign up sheet would tell us if the idea was well received or not."

"I would be glad to teach as many of your community that would want to learn. But please call me Isaac," he told them.

"I'd be happy to pay Isaac for his time," Catherine supplied.

"That is not necessary, Catherine. If the lessons are too expensive we will simply do without," Father stated, glad for this new reason to dismiss the idea.

"I am happy to offer the lessons for free," Isaac replied, foiling Father's temporary satisfaction.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"We would list you as one of our Helpers then Isaac, and if you are ever in need of anything from us, you would only have to ask," Vincent told him.

Everyone settled down to have tea and some of William's cookies that he had provided to welcome Lucy. They talked about the classes and where to hold them, but before long it was clear that the stress and danger of the last few days were catching up with Lucy. Mary was the first to notice that she was almost asleep in her chair.

"Come, child, I will show you to your chamber and make sure you are settled for the night," she offered.

The two of them went off together leaving the three men and Catherine behind. Although she would have liked to stay and have some private time with Vincent, Catherine knew that she needed to go out with Isaac. After indicating she would do that, they all said their good-byes and Jamie was sent for to show the two of them out.

Because of the late hour, Jamie took them to the basement of Catherine's apartment building. Once on the first floor, Catherine walked out of the elevator with Isaac to ask the doorman to get him a cab. The two of them shared a quick hug and she went up to her apartment.

Father wasn't happy at how quickly and eagerly everyone that regularly stood sentry duty signed up for Isaac's class. But he knew it would be churlish in the extreme if he said anything more against it at that point.

With the number that had signed up it was clear the only place with enough room to hold the class would be the Great Hall. Isaac arrived early on Saturday and was guided down by a very eager Jamie. They stopped by Vincent's chamber so he could accompany them the rest of the way.

Isaac explained that once he had assessed the level of skill in the volunteers, that he would probably divide them into two or three different groups. He was extremely pleased at how cooperative and attentive the students were. He was also amazed to find such a wide age range in the gathering. The eldest was Old Sam, who had to be sixty or more, to the four or five young boys, that couldn't have been any older that eleven or twelve. Each and every one of them listened closely to all the instructions and tried their best to carry them out.

It quickly became clear who would fall into the most advanced class. Vincent, Jamie, Kanin and Cullen. Plus a bit to everyone's surprise, Pascal. Mouse was upset that he wasn't put into the group with his friends, but even though he was fit enough for that group, his attention span wasn't up to the challenge.

Vincent spoke to Isaac and then his young friend privately. Mouse was to be the teacher's special helper in the middle group. Not surprisingly the third group consisted of the eldest and the youngest students. Neither of which really had the power to put up much of a fight, but would solely be taught defensive tactics and how to know when to get away quickly.

On Sunday they had their first class as a split group. Vincent had asked to sit in on the two other classes to listen and absorb the instructions Isaac was giving. Not only would he better understand when it came time for his class, but he knew that he was seen as an advisor to those in the tunnels. Anyone who had questions or wanted some extra practice time would most likely search him out during the weekdays when Isaac wasn't there.

Isaac was invited to have lunch with the community since his first two classes would be in the morning and Vincent's group after noon. He gladly accepted and walked along with Vincent to the dining hall. The aroma of William's stew was already enticing them as they approached the large room.

"My God that smells great!" Isaac exclaimed.

"Wait until you taste it," Vincent advised. "And William always has homemade bread to go with his stew."

"Wow, do you eat like this everyday?" he asked as they entered the room and he got a look at the buffet table full of food.

"No, weekends are special because we can all be together. On the weekdays, so many are on work crews that we carry our lunches with us."

"Well then, I'm glad I'm here on the weekends!" Isaac responded cheerfully.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mary had hurried forward when Vincent entered the room and began to fill a plate for him as he told her what he wanted. Isaac followed the two of them making sure to take no more than the other did. He didn't know how the food supplies were there in the tunnels and no matter how good things looked and smelled, he didn't want to appear like a pig. What he wasn't aware of was that Vincent had a larger appetite than average, and Mary knew this. She was filling his plate accordingly and Isaac's eyes grew rounder and rounder at the amount of food she was supplying the big guy with. By the time it occurred to him, his plate was full to almost overflowing and he knew he would be in trouble if he ate all of it and then tried to teach a class.

Mary led them to the table usually occupied by, Father, Vincent, and her. It was a plank table with bench seating that could accommodate six. The other places were typically filled by anyone that needed to talk to one or more of the main three, or any guests that might be visiting. Today, it was just the four of them.

This was Isaac's first encounter with Father since the night they met and the elder man's greeting was coolly polite. Isaac realized that he had a long way to go to win the man they all called Father over.

Vincent asked Mary how Lucy was settling in and listened as she told him of the different jobs that had been suggested for the younger woman, but none of them seemed to fit. He remembered Lucy telling him that she'd wanted to be a nurse and mentioned it to Mary. Father bristled a bit, remembering what her previous profession had been, but at Mary's encouragement he agreed to give her a try in the hospital chamber. For the rest of the meal the four of them chatted pleasantly until an outburst of laughter from the table where Mouse and Jamie sat attracted everyone's attention. Isaac felt that it was the perfect time to slide the third slice of bread he'd taken, but was too full to eat, onto Vincent's plate. However, when Vincent discovered the mysteriously appearing bread he grinned knowingly across the table to where he knew Isaac was sitting. Without a word, he picked up the slice and sopped up the leftover gravy from his stew with it.

They headed back to the Great Hall together as Vincent wondered if he could get away with removing his bandages for the class. But he knew better than most that nothing really remained a secret for long in the tunnels and sooner or later Father would find out. He decided that the lecture he would get wasn't worth it.

Vincent was surprised when Isaac handed out staffs to the advanced class. He hadn't done that to the other two classes. He gave pointers on what to do with them as he paired Cullen and Kanin together and then Jamie with Pascal. Isaac had given the four of them six foot poles of wood that Catherine had privately insisted on paying for. Vincent received a nine foot one however, because of his height and strength. This one also came from the same anonymous source. Once they were told that they were allowed to keep them, Cullen offered to carve each one for them to personalize them.

Testing the weight and balance of this new item, Vincent chose a seat as he waited for the next thing the class would do that he could take part in. Isaac approached him after the others were working on the moves he'd taught them. "You thought you would sit this one out, Vincent?" he asked.

"How can I practice staff fighting if I can't see anything?" Vincent asked logically.

"You'll just have to use the Force, Luke," Isaac teased.

A confused look came over Vincent's face as he said, "Pardon me?"

"You know…use the Force…like Luke Skywalker."

"Who is Luke Skywalker, and what is the force…other than the obvious of course?" Vincent asked, still very confused.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"You've never seen Star Wars?" Isaac exclaimed.

"We don't get television down here, Isaac," Vincent told him.

"But Star Wars was a movie! It's become a classic and everyone quotes from it. I can't believe you haven't heard anything about it!"

"We do live very isolated lives here in the tunnels. Isaac, is it important to the lessons that I know about this movie?"

"Well no, not really…" Isaac said slowly. "It was just a quick reference for what we were going to be working on. In the movie Yoda…ummm, the teacher, blindfolds Luke and teaches him to use his other senses to 'feel' what is around him. I think if we get started you will better understand what I mean."

He guided Vincent to an open area away from where the others were practicing and then began to describe what they were going to do. As Vincent listened he realized that what Isaac was describing was very much like what his Bond with Catherine felt like. However, he was no more shocked than Isaac was when he was able to block the first gentle swing Isaac had sent his way. Their staffs thunked together about a foot from Vincent's thigh, which was where Isaac had been aiming.

"That was great!" Isaac exclaimed. "Was it luck or did you really sense me coming?"

"I felt the air move as you swung at me," Vincent admitted.

"Fantastic! Let's try it again!" Isaac suggested, eager to test this out.

Again and again Vincent was able to block every slow gentle swing that Isaac aimed at him and he was beginning to feel comfortable with the staff in his hands.

"Vincent, you're doing great! If you feel up to it, I'd like to step things up bit. Do you think you could handle a faster pace?"

He didn't even need to stop and access his current condition. Since his eyes had been bandaged he'd been off of any work detail, but this gentle workout Isaac had given him was less than he did most days before breakfast. He told Isaac that he was ready to try something harder.

The others had stopped what they had been doing several minutes before so they could watch Vincent working with Isaac. They weren't about to start again if the show was going to get better!

Isaac grinned as he watched Vincent tilt his head, listening for the slightest hint of where he might be and then the almost tangible feeling that Vincent had 'changed channels'. Suddenly he was no longer relying on his incredible hearing, or sense of smell to detect where Isaac was.

Vincent had let that part of him that enabled him to have the Bond with Catherine take control and he was literally 'in tune' with where Isaac was in the room. As he realized it himself, he switched from defensive mode to aggressive, surprising Isaac by sending a few quick, but light, swings in his direction.

If not for his training and instincts, Vincent might have caught him off guard. Instead, Isaac chuckled and switched into true sparring partner mode.

However, Vincent took that split second of lack of focus to press his advantage. He sent a powerful swing of his staff at the back of Isaac's knees. The other man was swept off his feet, landing on his backside. He opened his eyes to find Vincent, still blinded by bandages, standing over him with one end of his staff resting in the middle of his chest and a pleased grin on his face. With a chuckle, Isaac admitted, "You might never have seen the movie, but damn man, you have mastered the idea!"

Vincent's grin broadened, pleased with his success and then offered Isaac a hand to help him get back up to his feet. It was then that he heard the applause of his four classmates and friends. They came forward to congratulate Vincent and ask Isaac how soon they would be able to do what Vincent just had!

Isaac worked with all of them for a while after that and then dismissed the group, promising to be back on Saturday. He left them with directions to practice during the week so he would see their progress when they met again. Jenny eagerly volunteered to guide Isaac out quickly reverting to the idea that Vincent was helpless to do so even after the display they had just seen.

Resigned to the fact that until his bandages came off he would continue to be treated like an invalid, Vincent remained in the Great Hall to practice a bit more. He didn't linger very long, however, because Catherine was coming Below for dinner and because of the afternoons exercise, he felt a visit to the bathing chamber was in order.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Catherine was unable to come Below for the rest of the week, after their dinner together on Sunday. The DA's office had three major cases all going to trial that week and she was lucky to see her apartment for six hours a night in which to sleep, shower, and change clothes. Because Vincent's eyes were still bandaged he was not able to go Above. What Vincent didn't know, and Catherine had no chance to tell him, was that they would get to see each other. Well, Catherine would, on Saturday when she came Below with Isaac.

He had called her on Wednesday to propose the idea and Vincent had felt the leap of joy through the Bond as she told Isaac yes. Vincent didn't know what had made Catherine so happy, he only knew that it had something to do with him, and he couldn't help smiling at that.

After a week of helping in the hospital chamber, Lucy realized how woefully limited the supply of medicine was Below. She knew that her friend at the hospital could supply her with most of what was needed and there was also the stash of stuff she'd had to leave behind at her apartment.

Her time Below, in this magical place, had eased her fears of the Silks and what was going on in the world Above. Confident that the gang had forgotten about her after a week of not finding any trace of her, she felt that a trip to her apartment and to her friend at the hospital was in order. Plus she could always use more clothes from her place, she'd had to leave so much behind when she came Below.

Saturday morning, Zach had gone with her to the tunnel entrance nearest St. Vincent's hospital, where her friend worked, and had promised to wait until she'd gotten the supplies from him. After she'd given Zach the full duffle bag she told him to take them to Father. She was going to catch a cab to her apartment, get what she needed, and be back before lunch.

Unfortunately, Lucy hadn't counted on just how important discovering where Vincent lived, so they could make him pay for the deaths in the gang, was to the Silks. They had one of their new recruits staking out her apartment and she had no idea that as she was filling a couple of plastic garbage bags with things she wanted to take Below the 'worm', as the Silks were calling their new people, was reporting back to Miss Patricia that Lucy was back on the scene.

Isaac met Catherine at her apartment right after breakfast and the two of them headed to the basement together. As they made their way to the tunnels, Isaac told her about how he'd discovered that Vincent had never seen Star Wars. She started to explain about the lack of technology in the tunnels and Isaac stopped her saying that he understood that, but it was still a shame that Vincent and the children had never seen that all time classic movie even once.

Privately Catherine agreed and mentally began to work out how it might be possible to rectify that. She knew that Father would throw a fit unless it was planned to the last detail and completely safe for Vincent and the children.

As Father and Mary gasped over the bounty that Zach had just given them, Father demanded to know where it had all come from. Zach explained about Lucy's friend and how she had gone to him for help. When Father wanted to know where she was now, Zach cluelessly informed him that she'd gone back to her old apartment for more medicine and some personal belongings. He assured Father that she had promised to be back for lunch.

Father absentmindedly dismissed Zach and knowing that look on his face, Mary took the new supplies to the hospital chamber to unpack them. She had recognized Father's need to mull the situation over in his head before deciding what punishment Lucy should receive for doing something so reckless.

After Isaac explained to the first class the reason for Catherine's presence, Vincent urgently requested to speak to the other man before things got started. Catherine came over to them wanting to know what the problem was.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When she got over to the two men, she discovered that Vincent was protesting her role in the day's class. He was assuring Isaac that it was excessive to ask Catherine to play the victim in his demonstrations. She smiled tenderly at Vincent for wanting to protect her, but told him that she had already done all of this when she took her private lessons from Isaac.

Isaac explained that the reason he needed Catherine to do this, was because the tunnel residents in the class needed to see that what he was asking them to do could be done by someone who was elderly, or small like the children. Catherine was seen by them as a small delicate woman. If they could see her doing what he was teaching, the others would see that they could do it too.

Vincent had been ready to insist on taking Catherine's place as the 'victim' until Isaac had rushed in with his explanation. After that, there was really little he could say that wouldn't indicate he thought Catherine was less able to take care of herself than the tunnel children or elderly. He simply nodded and let the two of them get back to the students.

He wanted to protest Catherine's assistance with the second class since they were all more able-bodied sentries. But, refrained in relief, when Isaac announced that in this class Catherine would be acting as the attacker. His relief was short lived when Isaac began tossing her over his shoulder to demonstrate using the attackers own weight against them.

Catherine had been through this before too and rolled out of the throw with a laugh. The students were quick to pair up so they could try it too. Because there were an odd number of students in the class, Isaac usually partnered with someone for this part, but today when the pairing up was done, Mouse was left without a partner. He quickly hurried over to Catherine and shyly asked if she would be his partner. She smiled at the eager young man and agreed.

Vincent wanted to intercede every time Mouse grabbed her the wrong way or threw her a little too hard. But Catherine seemed not to mind and instead of scolding or yelling at him, she simply showed him the correct way to do the move and then worked with Mouse until he got it right. However, there was no doubt that she would be bruised and sore by the end of the day. He would suggest that she go and have a long hot soak in one of the hotter bathing chambers after they had lunch while he was in class.

But the best of plans and ideas don't always work out. When the three of them joined Father and Mary at their table for lunch they were informed that Lucy had gone Above. Father added that she'd told Zach she would be back before lunch, but she hadn't yet returned.

All three of them were very alarmed at this news. They had first hand experience to know how dangerous the Silks were. Vincent was all ready to tear out of there to go in search of Lucy when Samantha came running up to the table. The child was out of breath and everyone, but Vincent, could see the fear in her eyes.

"What is it, Samantha?" Mary asked, opening her arms to the child.

She tried to gasp out her answer, but was unable to.

"Calm down, child," Mary soothed. "What has you so frightened?"

"Intruders!" she managed to blurt out.

Vincent was on his feet in an instance, forgetting for just a moment that he was unable to see. He reached up to tear the bandages from his eyes when Father's voice warned, "Vincent!"

"Father! I must go!" he protested.

"Little one, can you show us the way?" Isaac asked urgently.

At her nod, he said, "Catherine, take Vincent's arm and follow us!"

Vincent was about to protest that this was much too dangerous for Catherine when she took him firmly by the arm and started to drag him along behind Isaac and Samantha. They had left the staffs in the Great Hall and there was unfortunately no time to detour to get them.

Samantha informed them that Stephen had been the one to spot the intruders first. She said there were five of them and they were with the new lady, Lucy.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Catherine gasped, "The Silks," as they all continued to hurry along.

Jamie and Mouse had answered the first alert on the pipes and had headed there while Samantha came to get Vincent and the others, she told them.

As soon as they could hear shouting and fighting up ahead, Vincent ordered Samantha to turn around and go back to the dining hall. He was about to do the same to Catherine as the child reluctantly did as she was told, but Catherine stopped him with a quiet comment, "I'm not leaving your side, Vincent."

The three rounded the corner and Catherine and Isaac quickly began to assess the scene before them, as Vincent tuned in to each sound and smell. Catherine knew that it was Stephen who lay in a heap bleeding, probably from a knife that one of the Silks was brandishing. Mouse and Jamie were still in there fighting, but Pascal also lay on the ground. Catherine grabbed for his staff that lay by his side as she prayed he was only unconscious and not dead. Handing the staff to Vincent, she waded into the fight behind Isaac.

One of the Silks lay unconscious on the ground. Mouse and Jamie were each fighting a member of the gang, while Miss Patricia held on to a struggling Lucy. The sole remaining intruder stood poised for any opening in the fight to use the knife he held in his hand.

When Isaac charged in, the punk lunged for him and a new fight ensued. Catherine quickly moved in on the girl holding Lucy. In the next seconds several things happened all at once.

Isaac, with a few well placed kicks, dispatched his assailant.

Jamie, did herself proud, by knocking the weapon from the hand of the guy she was fighting with her staff. Then sweeping it around to hit him behind the knees, she knocked him to the ground.

Mouse, unfortunately, was knocked out with one well placed punch to his jaw.

Catherine, grabbed the arm Miss Patricia had around Lucy's throat, yanked hard, and using her own weight against her twisted Miss Patricia's over her shoulder to dump her in the dirt, out of breath, and stunned.

Vincent, didn't want to take a chance of hitting anyone he knew with Pascal's staff, so instead he emitted a growl that caused a startled shout from the guy standing over Mouse. Placing the staff firmly in the dirt, he used his powerful arms to propel his body towards the sound. Both his feet struck the Silk squarely in the chest, driving him back against the tunnel wall. With a whoosh of air from his lungs, he slumped to the ground, out cold.

Just as the battle ended, more help arrived. As the Silks were tied up, others lifted the three injured tunnel residents to carry them to the hospital chamber. Jamie and Lucy hurried along with them, leaving Vincent, Catherine, and Isaac to decide what to do with the five prisoners.

Isaac insisted that they should be turned over to the police and arrested for what they had done, but the other two knew the risks involved in that. Even as they began to explain this to Isaac, Catherine was still trying to process the change in Vincent.

Every other time she had seen him go into battle, letting the 'beast' side of him take control, there was always a moment or two when he came back to himself and then the rush of regret and humiliation. This time, however, there was none of that. He was as calm as if they were sitting on her balcony reading poetry to each other. She knew that once the Silks were dealt with, the two of them would rejoice in this new development!

Jamie had paused to tap out a message that Father was needed in the hospital chamber. They were coming in with injured. He and Mary rushed to prepare.

Father assessed the three quickly when they were brought in. Pascal had only suffered a bang on the head. Lucy was instructed to use smelling salts on him. Mouse had also been knocked out, but in addition had a few bruises and a sprained wrist. Lucy said she could also deal with that, leaving Father and Mary free to concentrate on Stephen's knife wounds.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lucy brought Mouse around and then wrapped wrist his wrist. Leaving Jamie to administer some aspirin to him, she turned to Pascal. Waving the smelling salts under his nose, he came to with a sputter.

"What happened?" was his first question.

"You were knocked out, lay still and take this aspirin," Lucy told him.

"I don't remember being hit," he protested as he took the pills and cup of water from her hand.

A tearful Jamie looked over at him and confessed, "I'm afraid it was my fault, Pascal. You cane running up behind me just as I was swinging my staff and I clocked you a good one."

"So I didn't even get into the fight?" he mourned.

"You're still a hero in my book," Lucy told him and then kissed the top of his bald head.

Pascal's eyes popped open wide and he blushed until his ears and the top of his head were a bright pink.

Mouse looked on and giggled at Pascal's reaction until Jamie stopped him with a frown. She dragged him out of the room by his good wrist saying he could rest in his own chamber.

Seeing that Pascal still couldn't meet her eyes, even after the other two had left, Lucy said, "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. I've only been here a week and I guess I still don't know what is proper behavior here."

"Oh, you didn't do anything wrong, Miss Lucy! I'm just not used to pretty girls kissing me…well…truthfully….any girls."

"Why ever not?" she demanded. "You're just so darn cute!"

His eyes opened wider than before, and if it was possible, he blushed even more severely. This time he was truly tongue tied and would have had no idea what to say even if he had been able to talk.

She just smiled and kissed the top of his head again, because it was all she could see at the time.

More might have happened. More might have been said. But, before anything could, Father came back into the room to say that Stephen had come out of surgery better than he expected. None of the three knife wounds had damaged any major organs and the extent of his injuries was relatively mild. He was sleeping and Mary would stay with him until he woke.

Father asked Lucy how Pascal was doing. Lucy reported that she'd given him the aspirin after he came around and that he seemed alert and 'with it'. The medical professional that he was would have preferred for her to use her lucid, or coherent. Then, the scholar realized that this girl who had grown up on the streets, probably didn't know those words. Or, he concluded she might have used that term because it was the current slang of the world Above and he was definitely not 'with it' these days.

"Good, good. Well then, Pascal, I see no reason you can't get back to your pipes as I am sure you are eager to do. Just stay awake for the next three or four hours so we can be sure there is no concussion, and report to me if you feel any thing out of the ordinary."

Pascal agreed that he would do that and sprang up from the exam table. The moment his feet hit the floor the room spun around him and his knees buckled under him. He collapsed to the floor with a soft moan.

Both Father and Lucy gasped in surprise and rushed to get him back on the exam table. As they were bringing him around again Father asked pointed questions about the blow Pascal had taken. Lucy pointed out the bruise that was already forming on his right temple.

Father was clearly concerned about this. Lucy questioned him as to why it mattered where the blow had landed and Father went into 'teacher mode', telling her all the possible complications a blow to that area could produce. Unfortunately, Pascal was awake by then and heard it all! His eyes bugged out and Lucy reached out to pat his arm trying to reassure him that those were just the worst case things.

"Yes, yes, quite right!" Father added, when he realized what was going on. "More than likely you will only experience some dizzy spells and lightheadedness. I do want you to stay here though until they pass. We will need to keep a close eye on you."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"How long could it take for them to pass?" Pascal fretted. He hated being away from his beloved pipes for more than a few hours at a time.

"Oh, I should say no more than a day or two…three at the most," Father assured him.

"THREE DAYS!" Pascal gasped, as if Father had said years instead of days.

"The Pipe Chamber is a dangerous place, Pascal. If you should fall or even pass out, with no one there with you, it could be hours before you were discovered," Father warned.

"I could have Zach there with me. He's a very good student!"

"Then he should be able to see to things while you recover. Lucy, can you care for both Pascal and Stephen while I take care of some things?" When she agreed, he went on to say, "I will have William send dinner for the three of you. Just broth tonight for the injured. I will have Mary relieve you once she has rested and I will check in on you later too." Father left them before Pascal could protest any further.

"I really can't be away from my pipes that long, Miss Lucy! Is there any way that you could keep an eye on me there?" Pascal practically begged.

"Normally I'd love to do that, but I have to watch Stephen too, and I don't think he could be moved to the Pipe Chamber."

"Oh, of course not. I had forgotten that, and was selfishly thinking only of myself."

"It's not selfish to want to get back to a job that you love as much as you do yours. It wasn't until coming here that I knew what that felt like. No one in my line of work up top ever liked what they were doing. They only did it out of need."

Pascal blushed and was once again speechless. He was both embarrassed and horrified to think of what her previous life had led her to do.

He was very glad when Mary entered at that moment. She was supporting a very slow moving Stephen. Lucy rushed to help her get him into a bed and then suggested that with her help Pascal should do the same. After all, the exam table wasn't very comfortable.

While all of that had been going on, Catherine, Isaac, and Vincent were dealing with the five captured Silks. Because they were all safely tied and all but their leader, Miss Patricia, was unconscious, the three of them stepped just far enough away not to be heard as they discussed what to do. After several suggestions were offered and dismissed, the best they could come up with was to take them all to Isaac's gym and call the police. Lucy could file an attempted kidnapping complaint and while the police were processing them, the tunnel entrances in that area could be sealed off. That way if the Silks told the police about the tunnels there would be nothing to support their story.

The story they would tell the police was that Isaac saw the Silks try and grab Lucy in front of his gym and with Catherine's help, who was there for a self-defense refresher course, had run out to rescue her. The two of them had overpowered the Silks and had tied them up, then called the police. They had talked about Catherine not being involved in the rescue so she could prosecute, but it was decided that she would be better off corroborating Isaac's story.

It took them two trips to get the Silks from the tunnels to Isaac's gym. Patricia was blindfolded so she wouldn't know the route they took and the others were still unconscious.

Before leaving the tunnels the Vincent tapped out a message that they would need Lucy to come to the gym. Isaac was in the process of calling the police when she arrived.

Mary had heard the message before leaving the hospital chamber and said she would stay to watch over their patients while Lucy went Above to talk to the police.

When Pascal heard she had to go, he protested that it was too dangerous. Mary reminded him that Vincent, Catherine, and Isaac would all be there to protect her.

Lucy smiled at him and told him not to worry. She would be fine and would return as soon as possible.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Noting the dreamy look on Pipe Master's face, Mary sighed in concern. Never before had anything or anyone competed for Pascal's love of his pipes. She worried that if he became interested in Lucy, that he could be badly hurt if she didn't return his feelings. Of course Mary hadn't seen the two kisses Lucy had already bestowed on him, but if she had, her concern could have merely shifted to the fact that Lucy might be too experienced for the naive young man.

Below, entrances in the area the Silks had used were being sealed off, false walls were going up, and extra sentries were posted in the vicinity.

While Above, Lucy had arrived at the gym in time to be briefed on the story that was to be told to the police. Vincent waited with them until the sirens could be heard and then with a quick, "I'll be near", he slipped through the back door where Zach was waiting to guide him to the manhole in the alley near Isaac's building. They would wait there until Vincent was sure that the Silks were in custody and Catherine and Lucy were on their way back Below.

Isaac would stay Above and Lucy would tell the police that they could reach her through him or Catherine. She was staying with friends until she knew it was safe, she reported to them.

Catherine asked their guide to take her to Vincent and Samantha cheerfully led her to his chamber. Lucy, on the other hand, said a quick 'good-bye' and headed for the hospital chamber as soon as they reached an area she was familiar with.

After he'd settled in the bed assigned to him, Pascal had tried to read, but the words kept swimming in front of him. Mary had offered to play checkers with him to relieve the boredom, but the pieces seemed to move on their own, so he quickly gave that up. He even tried to sleep, but the pain in his head kept him awake.

So, by the time Lucy returned, his head was pounding, he was bored almost out of his mind, frustrated at the inactivity, and his mild mannered personality was on the edge of turning cranky. However, when Lucy walked into the room everything changed for Pascal. He was no longer bored, or frustrated, and even though his head still hurt, it no longer seemed to matter.

Lucy did see the drawn line between his brows so after telling Mary that she was there to relieve her, she approached Pascal with more aspirin and a cup of water.

The first thing Catherine noticed when she entered Vincent's chamber was that it was darker than usual. She had always had a bit of trouble adjusting to the lower light levels in the tunnels, it was so much dimmer than she was used to Above, but this was noticeably different, less than half of the usual candles were lit. The reason became apparent when she saw Father removing the bandages from Vincent's eyes. She wondered if this was just a check up or if he was finally being liberated. She guessed the former when she heard Vincent ask, "Well, Father? How do they look?"

"I want you to slowly open your eyes and tell me how it feels, Vincent," he instructed.

Vincent did as he was told, his head turned in the direction of the doorway, almost as if he'd known Catherine had entered, even though she hadn't made a sound or said anything yet.

His eyes slowly opened and he blinked twice to adjust to the light in the room, but when his vision cleared, he saw his favorite sight in all the world. Catherine. "I feel fine, Father, and can see everything clearly."

"Wonderful, then we will just put the bandages back for a few more days to be…"

"No we won't," Vincent interrupted. "My eyes are healed and I don't need to be any more sure of that than I am."

"But Vincent…"

"No, Father! The bandages stay off. Hello, Catherine," he said letting Father know by the change of subject that he was firm on his decision. "Did everything go well after I left you?"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Yes. The Silks are in jail and I'll talk to Joe on Monday about the charges."

"Was Lucy alright with the story we made up?" he wanted to know.

"Oh yes, she played it up perfectly. When Patricia shouted she was lying, Lucy said, 'You may not believe a hooker like me, but what about Mr. Stubbs and Miss Chandler?' She was wonderful."

"She is also proving herself to be very useful in the hospital chamber. It is a pity she never had the chance to attend nursing school like she wanted," Father added.

"Do you think she might still like to do so, Father? I've always wanted to find a way to honor my mother. I'm sure I could talk my father into co-sponsoring a scholarship fund in her name. Lucy could use it to go to school."

"Catherine, that is a very generous offer, but college is very expensive," Vincent reminded her.

"I know, Vincent," she said, and not wanting to scare him with a true idea of her wealth, she downplayed it as much as she could, "But it would be such a worthwhile cause, and daddy would be helping."

Father looked between the two of them and said, "Well if your father agrees, we can talk to Lucy about it at that time."

Both Catherine and Vincent nodded, but when they said no more, Father realized they were waiting for him to leave. He excused himself and reluctantly left.

As soon as they were alone, Catherine moved towards where Vincent sat on the bed. He pulled back a bit in surprise when she went down on her knees in front of him. She smiled up into his startled face. Taking his hands in hers, she said, "It is so good to see those beautiful blue eyes of yours again. I have to admit I was worried that I might not, because of the length of time Father kept the bandages on."

"Father is a worry-wart," Vincent reported still slightly off kilter by the compliment she'd given him.

"Yes, he is," she told him gently, noticing the light blush coloring his cheeks. "But you are worth worrying about."

"Mmmmm…" he searched for something to say to that. "Do you need to return Above soon, Catherine?"

"No, in fact, I could even stay the night," she told him with a grin.

Even though he'd been trying to avoid her gaze up to this point, his eyes flew to hers at this comment and he sat there utterly speechless.

Deciding that she had teased him enough, she said, "If a guest chamber is available that is."

"Oh! Of course! We always keep a few ready at all times," he answered with relief.

"Wonderful. Now unless you are tired, what would you say to reading to me?"

"I would like that, Catherine, but with the bandages having just come off…"

"I'm sorry, Vincent!" she interrupted. "I didn't think of that! We don't want to strain your eyes do we? What about if I were to read to you? How would that be?"

"I would like that very much," he told her softly.

They read for several hours until Vincent caught her trying to hide a yawn. He gently suggested that he escort her to the guest chamber. She reluctantly agreed, closing the book, and getting to her feet. Once they'd reached their destination, she said, "Good night, Vincent," and hugged him without warning.

His arms came up slowly to return the hug. Other than the tunnel children, Vincent had very little physical contact with people. The hug that Catherine had given him nine months ago as she returned Above after her attack, had been the last one he'd received.

Sensing his unease she stepped back before she really wanted to, and on a relieved sigh, Vincent told her he would come by in the morning to escort her to breakfast.

Before he left, she caused him to blush once more by asking where the nearest facilities were. He told her and quickly left.

At breakfast the next morning Father stared at Catherine in surprise. As she and Vincent sat down at the table he asked, "What brings you Below so early this morning, Catherine?"

"I spent the night, Father," she replied.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

His eyes popped open wide and his gaze swung back and forth between Catherine and Vincent, before his son said, "We stayed up late reading and since she would need to be back this morning for the classes it seemed only logical that she stay. That is why we keep guest chambers ready."

The relief that went through the elder man was clear to see as he answered, "Of course it is!" He didn't want to encourage her visits by saying that she was welcome at any time, but he was very glad that Vincent had shown her to a guest chamber. When Catherine went back Above later today he would have to have a talk with his son.

Talk turned more general after that, until Father excused himself saying that he needed to go and check on his patients. Vincent asked Catherine if she would like to take a walk to the Mirror Pool before classes started.

She was glad to spend any time she could with him, no matter where they went of did, so eagerly agreed.

Mary had spent the night in the hospital chamber with the two patients. After Father had checked in on them they'd both had a quiet night. Lucy came in with breakfast for them, as well as to relieve Mary so she could go and eat then get some rest.

As they finished eating, Father came in. He checked on Stephen's stitches and then told him he could return to his own chamber after Lucy put on a fresh dressing and he promised to take it easy for a few more days. Pascal eagerly hoped to be sent on his own way after hearing that, but when Father asked him to stand and walk across the room, his hopes were dashed.

He barely made it three steps before his vision blurred and his head started to spin. Luckily Lucy was close by and quickly guided him to a stool to sit down. Father frowned and ordered him back to bed. He added that he would come by after lunch to check on Pascal again.

Once he was back in bed, Pascal asked Lucy if she would mind reading to him. She told him she would be glad to and asked what book he wanted. Shyly Pascal told her that he had one on his bedside table that he had started. He faithfully promised not to get up while she was gone if she would go and get it for him.

Lucy brought back the book and opened it to the marked page almost in the middle. She asked what the first half was about so she would know what was going on.

Pascal told her that he wouldn't mind at all if she wanted to start at the beginning again. She smiled at him and began to read 'A Wrinkle In Time'. After the first few pages she questioned him about the book and he admitted that even thought it was supposed to be a children's book he still loved it.

"Oh, then it's for children of all ages," she grinned and went back to reading.

The people in the classes that hadn't seen him at breakfast were all happy to discover that Vincent no longer wore the bandages on his eyes. However, when it came time for his class he actually found that it was a bit of a problem at first.

He had learned to concentrate his other senses to compensate for his lack of vision and now that it had returned it threw him off balance. Isaac gave him a few pointers on how to work around it and then teased, "If all else fails, you could always close your eyes!"

Much to Isaac's surprise that was just what Vincent did. He gradually eased them open to allow his sight to become a tool rather than a hindrance. By the end of the class, he was working out as well as he had the day before with the bandages still on.

Isaac left after the last class, but Catherine stayed Below for dinner. She asked Vincent if he'd like her to read to him again in his chamber, but Vincent had a different idea. He knew how many interruptions they could get if they stayed Below so suggested instead that she return to her apartment.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Vincent immediately felt her surge of disappointment at this and couldn't stop the feeling of happiness he got from knowing she didn't want their time together to end any sooner than it had to. He smiled at her and explained about the interruptions they would have if they went to his chamber and then added, "The only place that won't happen is on your balcony. If you would like us to read together, I could come Above tonight."

"Oh Vincent! Are you sure you're up to it? You have only just gotten your bandages off."

"As we discussed earlier, Father is a worrier and they should have been off days ago. I am fine and perfectly capable of making the climb…unless you'd rather I not come to your balcony?" he hesitated over the last part.

"No! I'd love it! The only thing I want more, is your safety!" she assured him.

"Alright then, I will walk you to your threshold and then meet you on the balcony." He offered her his arm and they walked side by side to the entrance below her apartment building basement.

Catherine gave him a quick hug and promised, "I will see you soon," before turning to climb the ladder.

A small thrill raced through her as she hurried to her apartment. Believing that she had the advantage of 'home court' as well as the benefit of the elevator she anticipated the small triumph of beating Vincent to their destination.

He felt her eagerness and competitive spirit through their Bond. As he made the climb he debated with himself. Should he let her win so she would have the joy of victory? Or should he hold true to his own code of ethics and beat her fair and square?

Only one small jump from arriving on her balcony when Catherine arrived at her front door, he was still fighting the internal battle as she fumbled to get her key in the lock as quickly as possible.

Just as she swung the balcony doors open Vincent jumped down to join her. Catherine smiled up at him and said, "It was a tie!" She honestly seemed just as pleased at that as she would have if she had won. Vincent was glad he had made that choice.

"Were we racing, Catherine?" he asked with amusement clear in his voice.

"No, not really. I just thought it would be fun to see who got here first."

"I see," he replied.

"What shall we read tonight?"

"Anything you choose, Catherine."

"Well I have several volumes of poetry, or we could start on a novel," she offered.

"A novel I think," he suggested, thinking that way they would both be able to look forward to seeing each other to continue reading it. "What do you have?"

"I was going to start reading Gone With The Wind . It's quite long, over 1000 pages, but I loved the movie so wanted to read the book."

"It would take us several installments to finish, but it would give us something to look forward to…" he trailed off, hoping that she felt the same way.

"Wonderful! Let me get it from the bookcase." She hurried inside to do that and returned after only a few moments with the thick hard bound book.

"May I?" he asked, holding out his hand for the book.

With a nod, she handed it to him and they settled in for the evening. They took a break for a cup of tea, but even though she asked sweetly, Vincent wouldn't come inside her apartment. He didn't say why, and she felt it was better not to press the point. As it was Vincent stayed until just after midnight and only decided it was time to leave when it was Catherine's turn to read and he discovered that she was asleep leaning against his shoulder.

Closing the book, he gently roused her so she could go inside to bed. She gave him a tight hug as she said good night and Vincent surprised himself by returning it. It seemed that you could get used to new things given enough repetition.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The next morning, still feeling the warm glow from Catherine's show of affection the night before, Vincent took a breakfast tray to Pascal who was still in the hospital chamber. Upon his arrival, Mary left to go and eat and then head to bed herself.

Pascal started to eat in silence after thanking Vincent for bringing his meal, then suddenly stopped to ask, "Vincent, what does it feel like to be in love?"

Startled at the question because he hadn't even allowed his mind to use the 'L' word in his thoughts regarding Catherine, he sat there quietly for some time. Thinking that he didn't want to answer, Pascal apologized for asking, "I'm sorry, Vincent. I didn't mean to pry."

"You weren't prying, Pascal. I just hadn't thought of my feelings for Catherine in those terms."

"Really? Why not? It's so clearly there on your face every time you look at her!"

"I guess it is because Father has always told me how impossible it was for me…" he trailed off.

"It looks pretty possible from what I have seen," his friend told him.

"Then I guess I should attempt to answer your question. For me, when I am with Catherine, my heart sings, and when we part it feels like it is being torn from my chest. Even though I know I will see her again, every minute we are apart is like an eternity. I am constantly thinking of ways that I can please her and am always wondering when I will see her again." After a pause Vincent asked, "Why do you want to know, Pascal?"

"Because I've never been in love, but the things you just described are the way I feel since meeting Lucy."

Vincent's heart plunged when he heard this confession. Pascal was as innocent as he was himself, but Lucy was so very worldly. Even if she were to return Pascal's feelings, Vincent worried if they could ever find a common ground. Still he had to say something to his friend, "Do you think that she may return your feelings, Pascal?"

"Well…she's kissed me twice, even though it was only on the top of my head… a person doesn't do that if they aren't at least interested in you…do they, Vincent?"

"I am really not the one to be asking about this subject. I have never been kissed."

"You mean you and Catherine have never…!" Pascal fell silent in amazement.

"No, but she has started hugging me every time we meet or say good bye," he offered.

"Well that's a good sign. Maybe she's wanting you to kiss her?"

Vincent turned bright red and stuttered, "I…I…couldn't!"

"Why not?" Pascal wanted to know.

"Father has always said that it is impossible for me."

"Nonsense!" Pascal assured him. "I've seen you kiss the children on their foreheads and cheeks! Lips aren't that much different. But if you are worried you could start by kissing her cheek."

"But what if she doesn't want that? They could just be friendly hugs and no more."

"Well a kiss on the cheek is hardly grand passion Vincent! After all you've done that with the children."

"I suppose you are right. But what about you? Are you going to kiss Lucy too? Or are you just trying to get me to do what you are afraid to do?" Vincent asked slyly.

Sheepishly Pascal grinned and replied, "A bit of both I guess. Okay, lets make a deal…we will both try and find a time very soon, to give the ladies we love a kiss on the cheek. Are you in?"

Vincent considered the idea for a time and two things occurred to him. He really did want to kiss Catherine, and Pascal wanted to do the same with Lucy. However, he would most likely not do so if he didn't have the encouragement of his friend attempting the same thing. So, placing his fear aside, he nodded at Pascal and held out his large furry hand to seal the deal.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

When Catherine walked into the office on Monday morning she knew something was up. The usually smiling faces of her co-workers were noticeable absent. Seeing Edie coming from the file room with her arms nearly overflowing, Catherine asked, "Has someone gotten fired, or died, or worse?"

Expecting one of her friend's sharp witty comebacks she was startled when she only received a clipped two word answer, "Annual updates," as Edie walked by her to deliver the files in her arms to Grant Peabody's desk.

As Catherine got to her desk she saw that Edie or someone had already been by hers. There was a stack of folders on her blotter nearly two feet high! Spotting Joe Maxwell coming out of his office she inquired, "Joe, what is all this?"

"It's that wonderful time of the year when we update every unsolved case still on our books. You have hours and your predecessors to do," he informed her.

"Joe!" she exclaimed, "I can't get all that done today!"

"Oh don't sweat that! You have all week to get it done, but that is only the first stack, when you finish with those someone will bring you more," he stated and quickly made his get-away while she stood there in open-mouthed shock.

As Vincent rose to leave the hospital chamber he felt a wave of outrage and shock from Catherine and went weak in the knees. Holding on to the wall of the tunnel his thoughts flew all over the place.

He was mortified that Catherine knew he wanted to kiss her.

He was stunned that she suddenly was able to feel the Bond when she had only taken his word for it's existence before.

He was amazed that since it just seemed to start in on her side, that it would choose that moment to do so.

He was confused that even though the Bond had just kicked in on her side that she was able to discern his thoughts and feelings so clearly.

He was mortified that knowing he wanted to kiss her caused such a reaction in her.

His first instinct was to hide himself away so no one could see his shame.

His humiliation was so intense! How could a creature like he presume to think a beautiful woman like Catherine would allow him to kiss her!

His Father had been right! The normal life of a human male was not for him!

His thought was to hurry to his chamber, gather up some things, and then head deep into the earth. Far beyond the reach of the community, somewhere where he could hide away from normal people.

If Vincent hadn't been so focused on his feelings of shame and humiliation he would have been able to sense that Catherine's feelings had changed from outrage and shock to ones of resignation and frustration.

She had looked around to see all the other desks in the office overloaded as hers was. Some of the stacks on other desks were even higher than hers. She realized that she wasn't being singled out for some kind of 'new kid on the block' test, but that this was something the entire office was dealing with. That was when the resignation had set in. The frustration came when she realized the mountain of work would keep her from going Below at all that week!

Vincent had his pack slung over his shoulder and was leaving his chamber when Samantha came around the corner. "Hi Vincent! You're just the person I was looking for!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

He looked down into the face of the eager young child in front of him remembering all of the kisses he had given her over the years and wondered why it was so much different with grown up girls.

When he didn't respond to her, Samantha tilted her head to one side, a habit she had picked up from her favorite person, and pointing to his pack asked, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes I was…"

He was interrupted by her protest, "But you can't! You promised to come to our play rehearsal! That is why I was coming to get you!"

"I'm sorry Samantha, I…"

Once again he was interrupted, "But you promised! Vincent you can't make a promise and then break it! You have to come! We've worked so hard!"

"Samantha, I'm sure your group will be wonderful. You don't really need me…"

Tears started down her dainty cheeks as she said, "You know Vincent, you are the one person I thought would never break a promise. If you do that, how can we trust anyone?"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Feeling all kinds of a heel for putting his needs before that of this lovely child, Vincent put a hand on her shoulder as she turned to go. "I'm sorry Samantha. I did make you a promise and I will keep it. If you will give me just a moment to put this pack back in my chamber, I will come with you now."

"You're sure?" she asked with a hiccup.

"I'm sure," he assured her and quickly did as he said he would.

To say that he was distracted and unfocused on the children rehearsing Hansel and Gretel would have been a massive understatement. But as he sat there, his emotions had time to settle down and as they did, Catherine's feelings could once again flow to him through the Bond. He had clamped down hard on his end of their connection so none of his thoughts or feelings could be transmitted to her, but he just had to check in on her and see if she was still upset. Was she disgusted at the thought of him kissing her? Would she never want to be near him again for fear he would try?

He had to take a deep breath and let his mind clear. Too many of his own fears were blocking anything coming from Catherine. Finally quieting his thoughts, hers could freely flow through the Bond.

Vincent could tell she was at work. Also that she was frustrated and miffed about something. There didn't seem to be any shock or disgust in her feelings…could he have been mistaken? Then he felt a wistfulness from her and thoughts of him. She was longing to see him! The faint sadness he was sensing was that she thought it wouldn't be until the weekend that she could!

How could this be? Could he have been wrong before when he thought she knew about his desire to kiss her? Afraid of the outcome, but needing to know, Vincent concentrated hard on sending her a message that he would see her on her balcony tonight. Catherine's feelings and thoughts didn't change at all. He tried again with the same result and then breathed a sigh of relief. Somehow he had to have been mistaken about her feelings earlier.

He vowed to himself that he would never let that happen again! His deal with Pascal would have to be forgotten. Vincent promised himself that he would apologize to his friend, but he couldn't take the chance of Catherine reacting the way he had thought she had at the mere thought of kissing her.

No, Father had been right, that was just something that one such as he couldn't have.

Not long after Vincent had left Pascal after making the kissing deal Lucy entered the hospital chamber. She was looking fresh and pretty in tunnel garb that Mary had helped her select. After a passing comment from Pascal about how he liked her that way, she had turned over all but two of her most conservative outfits to the tunnel coffers for use as they saw fit. She had kept the Above outfits for when she would have to go up to testify about the Silks incident.

Not knowing that she'd been under discussion by Pascal and Vincent before she'd arrived, Lucy went about the normal duties she performed for Father in the hospital chamber. She talked with Pascal while she worked and as soon as she finished asked him if he wanted to take a walk.

He happily agreed and since it was so close to lunch time suggested that their destination be the dining hall. Lucy protested that it was too far, but he told her how well he was feeling and on top of that reminded her they would have a nice rest period while they ate so they would be ready for the return trip.

Seeing his eager grin, she couldn't turn him down, but warned him that she would 'narc him out' to Father if it turned out that he wasn't up to the trip after all!

Pascal wasn't quite sure what 'narc him out' meant, but was sure that it involved telling Father in some way. He swore to himself that no matter how tired he was on the trip he would not let her know it. Avoiding Father's wrath was very important because he needed to return to his pipes. Even though Zach came by twice a day to give him an update on things, the pull was still there.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

They made it to the dining hall without incident, but Pascal would have been lying if he'd said that plopping himself down in the firs available seat didn't feel wonderful. Lucy smiled understandingly and went through the buffet line for the both of them. She returned with two very full plates and sat down next to him to eat.

It was hard for Pascal to get more than two bites in a row without having to stop and talk with someone who stopped by to greet him. It surprised and secretly pleased him to discover how much he had been missed, since he'd only been confined for two days.

On their walk back he couldn't help thinking about the pact he'd made with Vincent. When would he get a chance to try and kiss Lucy? He hoped that it would be soon.

As they reached the hospital chamber, Lucy questioned him about how he felt and if he had been light headed at any time during their walk. Pascal reported that he hadn't and that he felt just fine. Smiling Lucy said she would tell Father that when he next came by to check on Pascal and that maybe he could be back at work as early as that very evening.

Pascal couldn't help himself. He was so happy about this news that he leaned forward and quickly gave her a kiss on the lips. Blushing to the tops of his ears at his boldness, he tried to cover his embarrassment by saying, "Thank you so much Lucy! You have no idea how much that means to me!"

Catherine decided to skip lunch and keep working on the pile of folders on her desk. The more she could get done here at work the less she would have to take home with her. She was hoping that Vincent might stop by that evening so they could read more of Gone With The Wind.

She stayed at her desk working until everyone else in the office with the exception of the cleaning crew was gone. Knowing that Vincent wouldn't be able to come Above until after dark she planned to grab a sandwich at the deli down the street before taking a cab home. She would leave just enough time to eat, change out of her work clothes, and make a pot of tea for them to share. If he couldn't come, she could always reheat the tea she didn't drink by herself.

They hadn't planned to meet tonight, but since he could tell what she was feeling, she had been trying to focus all after noon, what attention she could spare from work, on letting him know that she wanted to see him that night. Catherine still didn't know or understand how the Bond he described to her worked, but she had seen that it did, so trusted Vincent's word about it. She knew that if he had sensed her message he would come if he could.

Lucy grinned at Pascal after his kiss and attempt to cover his embarrassment. She knew all too much of human nature from her previous job and could tell that he was attracted to her. But in this new world she didn't want to be seen as 'easy'. Her interest in the Pipe Master was real. No one had ever made her feel the way that he did. She wondered how she could discover if he had feelings for her or just wanted to get 'in her pants'. The only way she knew to tell that was to withhold sex and see if he lost interest. But she didn't have to withhold kisses!

Cupping his face in her hands she leaned forward and kissed him slowly on the lips. The dazed look on his face when the kiss ended had her wondering. Could a man of his age be this inexperienced to kissing? And if that were true, then what did that have to say about his sexual history?


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

After the play rehearsal, when the children had all rushed off to the dining hall for lunch, Vincent returned to his chamber. He was still a bit off balance by what he'd thought had happened earlier and wanted the time alone to think about it. Making a pot of tea he opened an air tight tin where he kept a few snacks. They were for those times when he wanted something to eat and didn't want to go all the way to the dining hall. Winslow knew of his habit and didn't mind refilling Vincent's tin whenever it was empty. Looking at the few things left in it, Vincent knew he would have to refill it soon.

Pouring his second cup of tea he sat back to think. He didn't want to break his promise to Pascal especially after what Samantha had said to him on that subject. But how could he even think about kissing Catherine now? The problem was…all he could think about now was that very subject!

The thought of her soft lips and how they might feel under his unique ones would not leave his mind.

He tired to read to get his mind off of kissing her, but that didn't work.

He cleaned his chamber and changed the bed clothes, but that, he discovered, led to thoughts of more than just kissing!

Finally in desperation he decided to take a swim in the cold waters under the Great Falls. He could have chosen the Mirror Pool because there were areas there that could have cooled his thoughts, but there was always the chance of someone else choosing to swim at the same time. He needed to be alone. No one was allowed to swim anywhere near the Falls because of the turbulent waters. As it raced over the edge and drove into the area below it churned so violently that only someone with Vincent's great strength could survive.

Stripping off his many layers of clothing Vincent dove into the water and swam until his muscles were protesting. Dragging himself out at the edge where he'd left his clothes, he used all four of the towels he'd brought with him to dry off. The soft golden fur that covered his body seemed to hold water like a sponge. His hair was still quite damp when he stopped by the laundry to drop off the sopping towels before going to dinner.

When he saw that William had made chocolate chip cookies, he was glad that he'd brought his tin along for refilling. As he headed towards the table he shared with Father and Mary, Vincent saw Pascal and Lucy. The two of them were at one of the small tables that couples usually used when they wanted to be alone together. He couldn't help but notice that they were busy staring into each others eyes rather than giving any attention at all to the food in front of them. Vincent stopped himself from wondering if Pascal had already carried out his end of the 'kissing deal'. From the looks of the two of them it certainly seemed likely.

Father had entered the hospital chamber moments after the kiss between Pascal and Lucy that afternoon. Pascal had still been dazed and Lucy was lost in her thoughts about his sexual experience. Luckily, Father was mentally plotting what moves he would sue against his old friend, Peter Alcott, when he came Below for their weekly chess game later that evening, so he didn't notice what was going on with the two in the room. Even when he had to ask Lucy twice for an update on Pascal's condition, he didn't realize anything was amiss.

After finally hearing her glowing report as well as the story of their going to the dining hall for lunch, which Father had missed because he'd been engrossed in a fascinating story in his latest medical journal, he pronounced Pascal fit enough to return to his normal routine.

Since there would be no patient in the hospital chamber for her to care for and she'd finished her daily chores, Lucy asked if she might go with Pascal to see the Pipe Chamber. It was one of the places Below that she still hadn't seen.

Pascal blushed and shyly said that he would be glad to take her with him. Father distractedly wished them a good day and left to go study his chess board.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The two of them walked along in silence, both lost in thought. They arrived to find Zach lightly dozing since this was a very slow time of day for pipe traffic. Most of the adults were working and the children were still in their classes. It was clear the boy took his responsibilities seriously because Pascal could see signs that Zach had been using his cot to sleep in the pipe chamber. Pascal had his own chamber, but more often than not, he found himself sleeping on his cot. He loved falling asleep to the music of the pipes.

Pascal gently roused Zach and told him to take the next day off. The boy needed to catch up on some sleep. After thanking him for doing such a fine job in his absence, Pascal sent Zach on his way. He suddenly found himself alone with Lucy. He immediately became tongue tied and had a hard time finding something to stare at instead of her. He finally ended up looking at his own feet as he shuffled them back and forth on the ground.

Wanting to put him at ease, Lucy knew that talking about something he loved would so the trick, she asked, "So will you explain to me how all of this works?"

Eager to focus on something other than his own embarrassment, Pascal happily told her about his beloved pipes for the next hour. By that time she could tap out very simple messages.

Proud of how quickly she'd caught on, he gave her an encouraging pat on the shoulder, just as he would have with anyone else he'd been teaching. Lucy, however, took the opening to turn and give him a hug in return.

With a slight smile she said, "Pascal, I really like you, but I need to know if I'm stepping on someone else's toes here…do you already have a girl friend?"

Stunned at the thought of that, he quickly stammered out that he didn't.

"Well then, would you like to?" she asked with a flirtatious giggle.

Speechless at what was happening to him, he could only nod eagerly.

"Good," she whispered, suddenly serious. Leaning forward, she slowly and gently kissed him.

When Lucy put her arms around his waist, Pascal took the encouragement and allowed his arms to pull her even closer to him. She snuggled into his embrace as if she'd found a home, and then tried to deepen the kiss.

It was immediately clear that Pascal had no idea what to do. She was going to have a lot to teach him, but it could come later. She was very conscious that this was a shy and gentle man. She would need to go slowly with him.

Smiling at him Lucy asked, "So, do we tell people that we are girlfriend and boyfriend or do we just let them guess?"

Blushing because he'd never had a girlfriend before and really didn't know what to do, he let his shyness win out and said, "I think they will guess soon enough, but if you don't mind, I'd like to tell Vincent. He's my best friend, we practically grew up as brothers, the two of us and Winslow."

"I don't mind who you tell, Pascal. I'm proud to be your girlfriend."

"You are?" he asked with round eyed wonder.

"Of course I am! You are a kind and sweet man, as well as an important one!"

"Important?"

"You're the Pipe Master! People rely on you and your pipes! Think what the tunnels would be like without them. I mean it would be like the world above without phones!"

"I never thought of it like that," he answered with a happy smile.

"Well you should, and to top it all off, you are just so cute!"

"I am not!" he protested blushing again.

"You are too! Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder and to me you are VERY cute!"

Pascal was so thrilled to hear this from Lucy that for just a moment he forgot all about being shy and reached up to kiss her firmly on the lips!

As they kissed, one small part of his mind was thinking that he would sure have a lot to tell Vincent the next time they had a chance to talk!


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The memory of the way Pascal and Lucy were looking at each other stayed with Vincent as he climbed to Catherine's balcony that night. His thoughts were once again focused on kissing her. It made him wonder if he should stay far away from her, but all afternoon he'd felt her concentrating on how much she wanted to see him tonight. He couldn't disappoint her. She asked for so little and gave so much. If this night of restraint and discomfort was what he had to endure for that not to happen, it was a small price to pay.

Catherine had thought about putting on something alluring in anticipation of Vincent's visit, but then she remembered how cool the evenings had been getting and knew that she would regret it. Sure, he might offer his wonderful cloak to keep her warm, but that would defeat the purpose in any case. She didn't even know if Vincent saw her in that kind of light. She had been the one doing all the hugging and he had only recently started returning them. As yet, he'd never instigated one on his own, so maybe she was way off base. She thought she saw love when she looked into his eyes and her womanly instincts said he was interested in her, but then why was he holding back? Any man she'd known in the past would have been all over her by now! Maybe it was only the love he would have for a sister, or friend?

All she knew was that she'd better find out. Her past relationships with men were nothing to write home about. She'd lived with a guy after college for a while, but broke it off when he became too controlling. Then she'd dated lightly for a while not wanting to become involved after getting burned. When Tom came into her life she was lonely and ready to try again. It didn't hurt that her father had approved of him either. It wasn't until she'd experienced Vincent's kindness when he'd cared for her those ten days Below that she realized she'd once again become involved with a very controlling man. That was why she'd broken off her engagement after returning Above. However, it must still have been imbedded in her psyche that powerful men were attractive, look at how her head had been turned by Elliot Burch! But even Catherine Chandler could finally learn her lesson after three disasters! Then she'd discovered Elliot's holding company was involved in trying to strong arm the elderly tenants from their apartments. That had killed any interest she'd ever had in him.

It was in the aftermath of that, that she'd taken stock of her feelings for Vincent. When he told her his world would end if anything should happen to her, she knew he spoke the truth because she felt exactly the same way. Then when the Silks had him, she knew she would have moved heaven and earth to find a way to save him. Now every time they were together she could feel her attraction to him growing.

Her problem was that if he could feel what she was feeling, then sooner or later he was going to know how she felt and it would be extremely embarrassing if the only feelings he had towards her were brotherly or friendly. She was going to have to find a way to discover how he felt about her before she let herself get any more involved, if it wasn't already too late.

She was still trying to figure out a solution to the problem when there was a soft tap at the French doors. Wishing that she knew why he wouldn't come inside her apartment so she could find a way to change it, she opened the doors and greeted him with a warm hug.

Dressed in light weight flannel lounging pajamas of pink, lavender, teal, and white plaid she knew she would be warm enough. She also figured that Vincent would have no idea she was in sleepwear because it was so different from what she'd seen people Below wear.

They settled on a quilt she'd put out earlier and took up where they left off reading Gone With The Wind. Scarlett had just married her second husband when Catherine suggested they take a break for a cup of tea. Vincent agreed and remained on the balcony while she went inside to make it.

He was in the process of placing his empty tea cup on the wrought iron table when Catherine came right out and asked, "Vincent, do you find me attractive?"


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

His shock was apparent in the loud rattle of cup against saucer as he fought his shaking hand to put it down safely.

Seeing his wide-eyed stare she rushed into speech, "I'm sorry Vincent! I didn't mean to put you on the spot that way! I should never have asked!" Usually a very confident self assured woman, she was amazed at how mortified she felt right then. Not knowing where to look, she settled on her hands which she was wringing together in her lap.

"Of course I find you attractive, Catherine. I am sorry I haven't ever told you, but you see, it has always been clear to me that I have no right to express those kinds of things to you."

"Why ever not?" her shock shot her head up to stare into his face.

"Because of what I am," he said sadly.

"Kind? Considerate? Caring? Loving? Wonderful?" she challenged.

"No, Catherine, because of this," he said, holding up his clawed, furred hands for her to see.

"Who ever told you that?" she demanded.

"Father," he answered.

"Well, I will have a few choice words for him the next time we meet!" she insisted. "But in the mean time, don't you know how beautiful I find you? Vincent you say you know my feelings, surely you know I'm telling you the truth!"

"Catherine…" he started to protest, but she interrupted him.

"Test the Bond if you don't believe my words! Doesn't it tell you my true feelings? Or does it lie to you Vincent?" She waited for him to do as she insisted and watched his face as it changed from doubt and disbelief to wonder and awe.

"Catherine," he whispered softly, unable to say more.

But she needed this point pressed home. "What does the Bond tell you Vincent? What are my feelings about you?"

His cheeks took on a rosy glow even in the dim light on the balcony and he answered slowly, "You find me…bea…attractive…"

"And what else?" she inquired.

He allowed her emotions to wash over him, not sure what else she could mean. His eyes flew to meet hers in stunned disbelief before he dropped them just as quickly in abject shyness.

Reaching out, she took his chin in her hand and pulled his face back to look at her. "What else am I feeling, Vincent?"

"D…d…desire…for me!" he stuttered.

"Why does that shock you so Vincent?"

"Because I never dared dream or hope that you…or anyone…would ever have those kinds of feelings for me!" he responded honestly.

"Well then it might also come as a shock to know that I love you," she smiled gently at him.

"You do?" Clearly her revelation had stunned him.

"I do," she said with deliberate emphasis, almost as if she were making a vow!

Realizing the implications of what Catherine had just said to him, Vincent was confronted with a personal turmoil. While his mind was replaying all the years of warnings from Father, his heart was rejoicing as a whole new vista of possibilities opened up to him. She let him take all the time he needed to process this, knowing that he must be fighting an internal battle from the years of conditioning by Father. Finally he spoke hesitantly, "Catherine, I never dared hope that any of this could be possible for me, but if what you are saying is true…would you allow me…to kiss you?"

"No, Vincent," she answered firmly and as she saw the sadness start to fill his eyes, she quickly continued, "There is no 'allow' between two people that love each other. If you want to kiss me then you may do so at any time, and I would hope that I could do the same to you."

He tilted his head to the side and gave her a shy smile of happiness, "Catherine…I have never done this before. Will you tell me what pleases you?"

"We will explore together, Vincent. Just do what ever feels good, nothing is wrong between us," she assured him.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Taking her at her word as the expert in this matter, he slowly moved towards her and cautiously touched his unique lips against hers. Even in the wonder of their firs kiss Catherine couldn't help a momentary flash of amusement. The pressure he used was so light she felt almost as if he were treating her like a fragile piece of spun glass.

Knowing that pulling away from this first kiss to tell him so would be a very bad thing, she also knew that she needed to allow him to proceed at his own pace. So instead of deepening the kiss as she longed to do, she focused on enjoying the moment.

But she had forgotten the bond and that Vincent was able to sense there was something going on. "Catherine, did I do something wrong?" he asked as he broke off the kiss.

"No, not at all Vincent," she answered honestly.

"But there is something not right…"

"The kiss was perfect, but I won't break you know. You could hold me in your arms…" she suggested gently.

Smiling shyly at her he opened his arms wide and she eagerly moved into them.

"Catherine, I would like to kiss you again if that is alright."

"Of course it's alright Vincent! Remember I said you can kiss me whenever you want to?"

This time he opened the Bond between them so he could sense what she wanted him to do, because even though she had assured him their first kiss was perfect, he knew there could have been something more. He had never before opened the Bond to this extent, he had always been worried about invading her privacy and if the truth were to be told he had always been a bit afraid that she was merely hiding her true feelings about him with the polite acceptance of his looks. He feared that deep down she might still feel the way she did when she first saw him. Scared. Afraid. Horrified.

Instead, what he felt was love flowing to him freely and without restraint. With that reassurance he was able to delve even deeper and feel her desire for more than what he was giving her in the kiss. Not sure what that 'more' entailed, he remembered her words about not breaking and pressed his lips more firmly against hers.

Clearly this was what she had wanted! Her sigh of pleasure and the fact that she put her arms around his neck assured him of it. When her lips parted under his, he wondered if she were trying to say something. He attempted to lift his mouth from hers to allow her to do so, but she kept a tight hold on him, not letting him go.

Before he could mentally readjust to the fact that she wanted him to continue the kiss even though her lips were open, he received a shock that jolted through his entire body. Her tongue lightly brushed his lips and before he could even think that it had been an accident, she did it again!

She was licking his lips!

Had he left food on them from dinner? No, he'd taken a bath!

Was it the tea she had served him that she was tasting? But surely there was still some in the pot, or she could make more!

It was a pleasurable sensation, but a very confusing one.

When she pressed at the seam of his lips, it was as if her tongue wanted to get inside of his mouth. A small gasp of surprise allowed her the very entrance she was seeking. However, as her tongue skimmed over his teeth he pulled back sharply in alarm.

"What is it Vincent?" she asked with concern, worried that she had offended him by going too far.

"Catherine, my…teeth…fangs…are very sharp! You could hurt yourself!" he protested.

"Vincent, I use knives to cook with, needles to sew, scissors to cut things, I know how to be careful around sharp things. Unless what I was doing makes you uncomfortable, please trust me to take care."

"Catherine, what was it that you were doing?"

With a faint smile, she responded, "It's called French kissing. Two people explore each others mouths with their tongues."

"You want me to…do that to you too?"


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

"Only if you want to, but it is a very pleasurable experience and I'd hoped that you would like to try it at least once to discover if you like it."

Testing the Bond to be sure she was telling him the truth, he said, "I will follow your guidance, Catherine."

She lovingly told him, "Then just follow my lead and do whatever feels right." Leaning forward, she decided to be a little playful to show him that this could be fun as well as serious. She placed quick kisses on the tip of his nose and both cheeks before he knew what was happening. Then, just because she wanted to feel his furry cheek against hers, she nuzzled up against him for a moment before bringing their lips together once again.

Catherine quickly brought the kiss back to the level of the other by sending her tongue on an exploratory mission into his mouth. Leaving his teeth for later, because even though she wanted to examine them, she didn't want him focused on his fear that she would be hurt. So, instead, she nudged his tongue with hers.

Thinking at first that Catherine wanted him to move his tongue, he did so, only to have her nudge it again from the other side. A bit confused as to what she did want, he tapped into the Bond to find her in a playful and teasing mood. She wanted to play! At first he wasn't sure of the rules of this new game, until he realized that there weren't any.

Following her lead, he tentatively bumped her tongue with his and felt Catherine almost melt in his arms at this simple touch. He was still amazed that she had those kinds of feelings about him, but he could sense the slow rise in her desire. Emboldened by her feelings, he allowed himself to do something he'd always longed to do. He lifted his hand and ran his palm over her silky hair.

Catherine nestled her head back against his hand and sighed, "Oh Vincent."

Because he'd been keeping the Bond completely open, he knew this wasn't a protest, but instead a testament of approval.

She wanted him to know that she found him as attractive as he did her. So to that end, she broke their kiss and started to place little kisses all over his dear sweet face.

Not quite sure what his role in this new maneuver was, Vincent just held very still and let her do what she wanted. Well, he did until she nuzzled her was under his hair and playfully nipped his earlobe.

The jolt of desire this caused in him was very evident to the woman sitting on his lap. The shame he felt at this blatant lack of control had him trying to put as much distance between them as possible and if she hadn't had her arms wrapped around his neck he would have unseated her completely.

As it was, she hung on for dear life until he stopped trying to get away, realizing he couldn't without hurting her.

Before he could voice his plea to be released, she said, "Vincent, its okay! Feeling desire for the person you love is perfectly natural! My body is reacting to the things we are doing as well, you just can't tell it through my clothes. But if you were to take them off, you would find I am just as ready for you as you are for me." She gently emphasized her point by lightly, but firmly placing her hand over his erection.

At that he wanted to leap over the balcony rail in one single bound and might have if she hadn't still been on his lap. Instead, all he could do was utter her name in protest, "Catherine!"

"Yes, Vincent?"

"I would never do that!"

"Really?" she asked trying to hide her amusement at his wide-eyed stare. "Then how will you make love to me through my clothes?"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Make love! Catherine we can't! I mean, Father has assured me that _**I**_ can't!"

"Really?" she asked again, her hand caressing his manhood through his pants. "It feels like you can to me!"

"I…ummm…" he stuttered to a stop.

"Vincent, can you honestly tell me that you don't want to make love to me?"

Watching his face she saw the struggle there. He wanted her, she knew that, but he was fighting the years of repression Father had imposed on him. Maybe she shouldn't have been pressing this point so insistently, but she truly had their future in mind.

Pushing past the ingrained shame that he'd been taught such thoughts should bring, Vincent finally said softly, "That has been my deepest inner most secret longing since meeting you. But I could never dare to dream that you could ever feel that way about me."

"Oh Vincent! You're so very wrong! I do love you and want to make love with you!" Gracefully getting up off of his lap, she held out her hand to him. "Please come inside with me. We will be much more comfortable on my bed than here on the ground."

Taking her hand he'd gotten to his feet as she started to speak, but when she mentioned her bed he woke like a man from a trance. Before he could protest that it was much too soon for something like that, she assured him, "Vincent, this is the most natural act in the world between two people that love each other. Please allow us this expression of our love!"

Unable to deny her anything, he silently followed her into her bedroom and stood there like a little lost boy as she reached up to remove his cloak. When she started to undo the laces on his vest he regained enough of his senses to ask, "Catherine, are you sure about this?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life Vincent," she answered firmly.

Taking a moment to process her response as she continued her struggle with his vest, he finally came to terms with the fact that she meant what she was saying. Placing one furred hand over hers he quietly said as she looked up at him in question, "Then maybe this would go quicker if you let me do this."

Seeing the commitment in his eyes she gave him a faint smile and said, "Alright."

Giving him a moment of privacy to get started on his task, she took a step back and then turned to remove the coverlet from the bed.

When she turned back he already had his vest, belt, and outer sweater off. He had just moved to the bench at the end of her bed to remove his boots.

She saw him hesitate before removing his heavy socks. Trying to send as much reassurance as she could through the Bond caused him to look up with a slightly guilty smile. He'd realized that she'd caught him in a moment of uncertainty. With her reassurance bolstering his courage, he quickly removed his socks and tucked them into his boots.

Catherine looked at the feet he had been reluctant to reveal and saw what she'd expected. They were a bit less furred than his hands, but she guessed that was because of the constant rubbing of his socks and boots. His nails were trimmed short, however, she was pretty sure that if he didn't keep them that way they would be as sharp as his fingernails were.

Wanting him to know that she had no strong reaction to his naked feet, she drew his attention away from staring at the floor to her, by saying, "I think it's my turn now."

When his eyes came up to see what she meant, Catherine started to unbutton her top. His gaze was mesmerized by the movement of her fingers. She shrugged the top off of her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Normally she wouldn't have worn anything under her pajama top. But, she knew that she would be hugging Vincent when he arrived and worried how he might react to the feel of her unfettered breasts. With only a peach colored lacy bra covering them she smiled encouragingly and asked, "Will you take off your shirt now?"

Inwardly, Vincent's mind was still reeling that this was happening. Earlier that very day he had convinced himself that he didn't even have the right to kiss her, and now here they were, about to make love!


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Standing, he squared his shoulders and pulled the hem of his shirt out of his trousers. Taking a deep breath, he lifted it up and over his head.

This time there was a very strong reaction from Catherine. As he tried to analyze it, prepared to yank his shirt back on, she gasped, "Oh Vincent! You're magnificent!"

His eyes popped open in disbelief. But, the feeling flooding towards him through the Bond was pure unadulterated desire! He stood there transfixed as she approached him and after removing the shirt from his lifeless fingers, raised her hands to caress his chest.

Try as he might Vincent couldn't suppress a groan of desire as her hands touched him for the first time. He had been afraid that his hirsute torso would end any desire she had for him. Instead, it seemed to have increased!

When her fingertips found his nipples in the matt of hair on his chest, the jolt of shock and pleasure that shot through his body was like nothing he'd ever felt before. His first instinct was to pull back in alarm, but her whispered question stopped him, "Vincent, would you like to do this to me too?"

While his mind was dealing with the terrifying thought of his clawed hands touching her delicate breasts, she took a step back and undid the front clasp of her bra, letting the straps slide off of her shoulders and then dropping it to the floor. She stood there for several moments letting him look his fill, but when after a time he still didn't reach out for her she took his hands in hers and placed them on her shoulders. Catherine wanted him to discover this new experience on his own.

"It's alright Vincent, I want you to touch me. Don't worry you won't hurt me, I trust you," she encouraged him.

Taking a deep breath, he massaged her shoulders for a bit getting used to the incredible experience of her bare skin under his hands. With more courage than he knew he possessed, Vincent slowly began to move his hands off of her shoulders and towards her breasts.

His eyes had to leave hers to make sure that he didn't make any mistaken moves. His heart was filled with both dread that he would hurt her and wonder that he was touching the woman he loved in so intimate a manner.

He actually moved his hands past her breasts and gently cupped them from beneath as if testing their weight. They weren't very large, but perfectly proportioned to her small frame. They didn't even fill his hands, but he stared at them as if they were the most precious things he had ever held.

"Touch me please, Vincent," came her whispered plea, unable to wait any longer for the touch she desired so much.

His eyes flew up to hers for a moment, just to be sure of what she was asking before once again focusing on his hands so he made no mis-moves.

Gently caressing her breasts as they rested in his hands, he ever so slowly allowed his thumbs to start moving towards her nipples. Vincent had of course seen nude women before, but they had only been in Father's art books. However, none of them were as beautiful as Catherine was and this experience of touching her so intimately was almost more than his mind could take in.

When his thumbs brushed the excited peaks of her breasts with the slightest touch she moaned and went weak in the knees. It was doubtful that she actually would have fallen to the floor, but Vincent had swept her up in his strong arms anyway.

"Catherine! What did I do?" he questioned in alarm.

"Oh Vincent!" she sighed at his inexperience causing him so much fear of the unknown. "That felt so wonderful! You have to understand that it has been a long time for me since I have experienced these things and quite honestly with you everything is new and different because of the love and Bond that we share, so my reactions will be very intense."

"I understand completely about new and different, Catherine, because I have never done any of this before."

"Well there is a lot more to come. Why don't you put me down so we can finish undressing?"


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Vincent did as she asked, putting her back on her feet, and then took one step back so they would have enough room to remove their clothing. This time he was determined not to be afraid. Catherine hadn't reacted to his feet or chest, so either she had mentally prepared herself for his differences or maybe he wasn't as different as he had always thought he was. Since the age of six, he had bathed or swam alone because his fur had seemed such a subject of curiosity. Or could it be that Catherine was just so blinded by love that she was willing to overlook his oddities?

What he hadn't realized as he was running all that through his mind and undressing at the same time, was that Catherine had removed the pajama pants she had been wearing. She was now standing before him in just a scrap of peach colored lace. In the way that stray thoughts flit through your mind, he found one that might have caused him to smile or even chuckle if it hadn't been such an emotionally charged moment for him. His thought: 'I have handkerchiefs with more material than that!'

Seeing that he had paused in his own undressing to stare at her, Catherine smiled and asked, "Do you like what you see, Vincent?"

"Catherine, there is no one in the world more beautiful than you are to me. I only wish I were a poet or writer so I could find the words to adequately express how I feel."

"Oh Vincent! You do a perfectly wonderful job just as you are! I wouldn't change a thing about you, except maybe your state of undress." She nodded at the long underwear he still had on as she slid her panties off and took a step back to sit on the bed.

His eyes widened at what he had just witnessed and he was suddenly eager to experience more of what Catherine wanted to teach him. Hurriedly stripping off the long johns he wore; he moved quickly to the other side of the bed and got under the covers. He was still embarrassed by the erection that he couldn't help. The covers hid his arousal from her eyes.

She smiled at his modesty and wondered if it was something that he would learn to put aside, or if it was just an innate part of who he was and it would always be like this. Moving close to snuggle into his arms she tried to send her understanding through the Bond.

Deciding that since he valued honesty so highly, she should be truthful about their situation, "Vincent, you are clearly ready for me, and making love, and even though it is less obvious, I am ready for you too. This first time will most likely be pretty fast, due to many factors, but we can take our time and savor our next time together."

Vincent's mind was reeling about her open talk of his state of arousal and was having an emotional time even thinking about their first sexual encounter! The first had been such an impossibility. In his mind a second time had never even occurred to him! "Show me what to do, Catherine," he asked of her.

"If you don't mind, I think it's better if I do take the lead this time," she stated and waited for his response. When he nodded slowly she pulled the covers off of their bodies and moved to position herself over him.

Taking his shaft in her hand, she rubbed it up and down her folds once, saying, "Do you see how wet I am for you?"

Trying to control his body so the entire event wasn't over before it had even began; all he could manage was a tense nod. Catherine, seeing the strain in his eyes, smiled understandingly and placed his manhood at her entrance then slowly lowered herself on him until they were joined completely.

Giving both of them a few seconds to savor this momentous occasion she then began to move. Knowing that this first time would be very quick for him, Catherine set a fast pace that had his fists clenching the sheets and his body nearly bowed in excited tension. Within moments he was gasping out her name as his body found release in hers. Her climax followed his seconds later.

Collapsing onto his chest, she cuddled into the arms that had just enough strength to come up around her.

After what seemed like a long time, both recovered enough to speak. Their comment made in unison had them both chuckling afterwards.

"Catherine, that was amazing!"

"Vincent, that was amazing!"


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Once the momentary amusement passed, Vincent told her, "Catherine, I have never felt this way before, nor ever expected to in my entire life!"

"Can you tell me what it is that you are feeling?" she asked, leaning up on one elbow so she could look into his face.

"There are so many feelings and they are all such a jumble," he sighed.

Smiling her understanding, she encouraged, "Can you try?"

He considered a moment and then started to speak, "I feel exhilarated and spent, a level of contentment that I have never experienced before, amazement, shock, as well as pride. There is also excitement and joy mixed in, but most of all is an overwhelming feeling of love."

She was nodding as he listed his feelings because most of them were ones that she shared with him, but there were some she had to question him on. "Vincent, I understand and share most all of those things with you, but there are a couple that I don't get. Could you explain why you feel shock?"

"I am shocked that this happened. Earlier today I had convinced myself that I could never even kiss you and yet here we are…" he said, moving his free hand to indicate their very intimate positions.

"Okay, I get that, although I still have to wonder how you could come to that conclusion. I am certainly glad we were able to overcome it!"

"You said there were a couple of things you didn't understand. What was the other, Catherine?"

"Well, I totally get the amazement, joy, and love, because I share them with you. I can also _feel_ the excitement growing as we speak," she giggled a little as she carefully brushed his renewed erection with her hip. "But can you explain the pride?"

"Even though I know I can never stand by your side in the world Above, I just can't help but feel a certain sense of pride when I think of all the men that you could choose from and then to think that you chose me!"

"Oh Vincent," she sighed. "I wish there was some way that I could convince you of just how special you are! And I don't mean just your appearance, so don't think that! You have such a kind and gentle spirit. You have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a lion, and the soul of a poet! You are a true Renaissance man, and I love you with all that I am!"

"Catherine, I will treasure those words always and try my best to believe them all. Please know that I return your love tenfold!"

"Well, I don't know if that is possible, but I do know that I want to make love to you again, if you are of the same mind."

"There is no way that I can hide my desire to make love with you again, Catherine. Is this 'normal' for couples?"

"Each couple is different Vincent. So whatever we want, will become 'normal' for us."

"I want you," he stated boldly and carefully brought his hand up to bring her head down for a kiss that quickly heated up.

They did make love again, not quite as slowly as Catherine would have liked, but they were still making up time. In actual fact, they made love a total of four times before the first pink streaks of dawn started to color the morning sky. Each time they learned more about the other and what gave them pleasure. As Vincent dressed, he promised to return that evening just as soon as the sun had set.

After her wonderful night with only the shortest naps, Catherine wished she could call in sick and catch up on her sleep. However, she still had all those old case files to update so knew it wasn't possible.

Pascal had spent the night in his chamber rather than on his cot with his pipes. He was up early and heading back to the Pipe Chamber when he saw Vincent heading in the direction of his own chamber. "Vincent, what are you doing up so early?" he asked in a hushed tone.

Before his friend could answer, something registered with Pascal. "Vincent, are you just getting home? You went Above last night didn't you?"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

"Yes, I went to see Catherine."

Eyeing Vincent's mane, which was more wild than usual, his rumpled clothes, and the blush on his cheeks. But, the most telling of all the new look of 'awareness' in his friend's eyes, Pascal stated, "Well, I was going to tell you that Lucy and I had kissed, but I think you had a much more interesting time than we did."

Vincent's cheeks blossomed into full color to discover that his activities with Catherine were so blatant to see.

While Pascal might have seemed the chipper Pipe Master to all the tunnel residents, if the truth were told, he had much time for introspection. Listening to everyone's conversations and passing messages along was his life's calling, but it could be lonely too. All the messages and conversations were to someone else and at times had him feeling left out. It also gave him quite a lot of time to think about the intricacies of people's feelings and relationships. Pascal had known Vincent all of his life. They had grown up almost as brothers, and he knew what a private person he was. So, he was aware that if things had progressed with Catherine much farther than he and Lucy had, Vincent would still not feel comfortable talking about it.

All these thoughts went through his mind as Vincent searched for something to say. He was relieved in the extreme when Pascal himself saved him from answering. "Vincent, you know I love you like a brother and am always here for you. Especially if you ever have things you want to talk about that you can't with Father. Oh, and speaking of Father, if you don't want him to know what happened last night, you'd better clean up a bit and try to avoid eye contact with him." Pascal tried to hide his amusement at the thought of what Father's reaction would be if the elder man learned what he had just discovered.

"Thank you, Pascal. I will take that advice to heart and I am very happy for you and Lucy."

"Vincent…may I ask one question?" Pascal inquired tentatively.

Knowing from the tone of his voice that the question would be very personal, Vincent also knew Pascal would also be respectful, "Yes."

"Was it…wonderful?" the shorter man asked with hopeful stars in his eyes.

Vincent didn't hesitate in his answer even though it was a slow and considerately said, "It was so far beyond wonderful that there are no words that can do it justice."

"Thank you, Vincent. I hope to one day discover the truth of that myself."

"You will, my friend, you will," Vincent assured him with a pat on the shoulder.

The two men parted ways, Pascal to his Pipe Chamber, and Vincent to take a bath and then get a few hours of sleep before his work day started.

Alone in his chamber, Vincent undressed and dropped his clothes into the hamper. Grabbing up his nightshirt and several towels he headed into the private bathing chamber that he and Father shared. Vincent stepped down into the water still able to smell the traces of Catherine's scent left on his skin. As the water caressed his body, he couldn't help but remember how her delicate hands had done the same thing throughout the night. His memories aroused his desire for her and before he was able to control it, his body responded to those thoughts.

Trying to ignore the problem as he washed his hair and then the rest of his body, did no good. The problem didn't go away. With a sigh of resignation, he dealt with it as quickly as he could, thinking the entire time that he had to learn to control his thoughts about Catherine if he didn't want this happening at very inopportune times!

His dreams were plagued by her as he slept after his bath and he awoke as his dream reached its fulfillment. Moments later his soiled sheets were also in the hamper.

Throughout the day he was able to keep most of his thoughts of Catherine at bay as he taught the children their daily lessons. However, he realized that the two hours he usually arranged for some private reading time would not be a good idea that afternoon. Instead, he sought out Mouse. The eager young boy and his ceaseless chatter was just what he needed to keep his mind off of Catherine.

Vincent had managed to avoid Father all day until dinnertime. Knowing Father liked to eat during the early part of the dinner service, Vincent planned to stay in his chamber until Father had finished. His plan would have worked just fine if Father hadn't come to his chamber before leaving for the dining hall to ask Vincent to go with him.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Because it was clear he wasn't doing anything, Vincent could think of no tactful way to refuse his parent.

As they walked along the passageway side by side, at Father's slower pace, he said to his son, "I have missed you today, Vincent. We didn't encounter each other even once. You must have been very busy."

Glad that their positions gave him some extra time to keep his new awareness under control, he answered, "I have been, Father, but that was no excuse not to drop in and at least say hello to you. I do apologize."

"Well no matter, we are together now and you can catch me up on your day. Then maybe after dinner we could spend the evening playing chess?"

Hating to disappoint Father, but also not wanting to give up his time with Catherine, Vincent explained, "I should have time for one game after we eat, Father. But, I did promise Catherine that I would see her tonight."

"Didn't you go Above last night? You know you take a risk every time that you do…all this exposure is dangerous…"

Vincent stopped the familiar lecture with a hand on Father's shoulder. He stopped walking to look up at his son as Vincent told him, "I gave Catherine my word, Father, and I am always careful. You wouldn't want me to break my promise, now would you?"

"Well no, but…well you just shouldn't go Above so often."

They arrived in the dining hall and took their places at their usual table as Vincent asked, "What about if I spend all of tomorrow evening playing chess with you?"

Mollified, Father conceded, "That would be most pleasant, Vincent."

As they waited for their food to arrive, Vincent filled Father in on his day. Father had been looking at him as he spoke and when Vincent got to the time they'd met in his chamber, Father asked, "Vincent, have you had a growth spurt?"

Completely thrown off balance by the question, Vincent replied, "I don't believe so Father. Why do you ask?"

"You seem taller today. In fact, I noticed it in the passageway as well. I had to look up farther that usual when we were talking."

The only thing Vincent could think of for this was the new confidence and pride that he felt since his night with Catherine. That thought led to what they had been doing during those hours together. As he fought to keep his blush under control Vincent quickly explained, "I was talking to the children about how important good posture was and I guess I am still trying to set a good example." Vincent vowed to himself that tomorrow's lessons would include posture!

"I see! Well, from a medical point of view I applaud your efforts, but in your case, you will need to be careful not to hit your head on things down here."

"I will be careful, Father," Vincent promised meaning it in more ways that Father could possibly know.

Each chess game for Father was a battle of wills against his opponent, even when he was teaching someone new to play the game. He always strove to test his own prowess. Unfortunately, he was a better teacher than he was a player, because invariably his students surpassed his skills on a regular basis. However, this never caused him to give up; rather it pushed him to strive even harder to become a better player.

Since the age of seven, Vincent had begun winning more games than he lost to Father, and by ten, it was rare that Father could ever beat him. Tonight however, Vincent's mind was not on chess. Instead, he was counting the minutes until he would see Catherine again. That distraction alone would never have been enough to throw off his game, but tonight was not a usual night. He wasn't only looking forward to seeing and being with Catherine, but tonight he was also consumed with thoughts of what they might be doing together!

Father was more that surprised by the relatively easy win. He was about to question his son about it when he looked up from the board to see the dreamy look on Vincent's face. As he gleefully claimed "Checkmate!" he added, "You know, if your visits to Catherine are going to continue to have this effect on your game, Vincent, I might have to rethink my objections to them."

Vincent brought himself back to the room and gave his parent a grin, "I will let Catherine know that your penchant for winning at chess outweighs your concerns about our relationship."

"Oh! I didn't say that! I am still very worried that you will be hurt when limits of the relationship cause her to want more."

Scooping up his cloak in one hand and bending to place a kiss on the top of Father's head, Vincent said, "I don't think you need to worry about that anymore."

Father was still trying to decipher Vincent's meaning long after his son had left for Above. The only answers he could come up with however, caused him even more worry!


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

After a very brief stop at a store owned by one of their Helper's, Vincent proceeded to Catherine's balcony with all haste. He could feel the anticipation building from her through the Bond and it easily matched what he was feeling too. He made the climb with hardly any effort at all and landed lightly on her balcony as she opened the French doors to look for his arrival.

Presenting her with the dark red rose he'd stopped to get, Vincent watched as she brought it up to her face and inhaled deeply of the scent. "Oh Vincent, its lovely. Thank you."

"It doesn't begin to compare to your beauty Catherine," he assured her.

She smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you. Will you come in while I find a vase for it?"

What a difference a day made! Yesterday, he had to be cajoled inside. Today he confidently followed her in. Yesterday she had taken off his cloak for him. Today he calmly removed it himself and laid it over a chair.

While she found a vase and filled it with water, Vincent was admiring the flickering light given off by the dozens of candles she had placed around the apartment. The harshness of electric lights bothered his eyes and since she loved candles anyway this had seemed a perfect occasion to bring them all to light.

Returning to the room Catherine placed the budvase on her bedside table and then held out her other hand to Vincent. On it rested two balls of individually wrapped treats of some sort. She smiled and said, "I know that you probably ate dinner Below, but I know how you like chocolate and thought that you might enjoy these liqueurs for desert."

Vincent did have a sweet tooth and he dearly loved chocolate. But Below any kind of chocolate was a rare treat and what little they did get had to be shared among all. He could count on both hands the number of times he'd had it. Without thought he took them, quickly unwrapped one and popped the whole thing into his mouth. His eyes closed in bliss as he bit through the outer shell to the liquid center and the flavors mingled on his tongue. His intense pleasure was interrupted by a light giggle and Catherine saying, "I do expect you to share, Vincent!"

With just a moment's hesitation at the disappointment of not being able to eat both candies, he held out his hand to her offering her the second treat.

Grinning at him, she moved his hand aside and stepped up close to him, "I didn't mean like that," she told him. "I meant like this…" Pulling his head down, she kissed him passionately, her tongue searching out the taste of chocolate from his lips and tongue.

Pulling her closer into his arms Vincent sighed. He didn't mind this kind of sharing at all! Although he was sure that it wouldn't be accepted by his tunnel family!

When the kiss finally broke, the flavor of the chocolate was just a delicious memory. Vincent smiled and showing uncharacteristic boldness asked, with a gleam in his eyes, "Would you like the other candy now, or later?"

Her grin was almost predatory as she took his hand and pulled him closer to the bed, "Ooooh, later, Vincent…much later!"

He placed the chocolate on the night stand next to the rose and looked up to find Catherine turning down the bed. Tonight he didn't have to be told, asked, or even encouraged to begin undressing. Catherine's love for him had given him more confidence than he ever thought he'd have.

They made love slowly, savoring every moment of new discoveries. Then as they lay snuggled in each other's arms Catherine made an accidental discovery. Through his many layers of clothing no one had ever found this weakness in him before. But, here in Catherine's arms, completely defenseless because of their nudity, Catherine inadvertently found out that he was nearly terminally ticklish! His sides right above the waist were his Achilles heel.

Catherine couldn't help it, she had to explore this new discovery about the man she loved. Digging in with her fingers, she tickled for all she was worth. Vincent tried to avoid her touch, but when he'd started to wiggle away from her, Catherine threw her leg over him and now had him trapped as she sat across his thighs. He didn't want to take the chance of hurting her by tearing himself from her prison, so he laid there and took it until tears of mirth were streaming down both their cheeks.

Finally unable to stand this sweet torture any longer, he used the strength in his powerful legs and arms to flip them both over in one swift move. Now Catherine was on her back with him looming over her.

Her gasp stopped the laughter and tears as she was instantly aroused by Vincent's action. This change in her mood telegraphed itself through the Bond and Vincent responded in kind. She could feel his shaft growing and hardening as it pressed against her tummy. In silent invitation, her legs spread and her arms came up around his neck.

He looked deeply into her eyes feeling like he could see into her soul. Catherine's love for him was there so clearly to see that he was amazed he hadn't realized it's depths before last night. But then maybe he'd needed that intimacy with her to allow the bonds he'd kept on himself under control. She had already brought so many changes into his life that he couldn't help but wonder at all the possibilities still ahead for them…if only…"Catherine, I want us to move forward and experience all that life has to offer us together, but how do I get past a lifetime of restrictions and fear?"

"Oh Vincent! If we aren't moving through our fears, we can never come out the other side of them. Only then will the future be ours to make of it what we will."

He nodded his shaggy head in agreement and as he entered, he vowed that he would devote the rest of his life to making all of her dreams come true!

THE END


End file.
